Yeah, I was thinking pretty much exactly this. Next year will probably relieve a lot of the logjam simply by Adames departing.
As for this year, I’m not concerned about Mitchell spending ample time on the farm. He’s nice insurance to have if somebody gets hurt, or Perkins comes back to earth, but I wouldn’t swap him in for anyone else right now. Chourio seems to be steadily finding his way, and the pros of letting him figure it out far outweigh the short-term possibility that Mitchell outperforms him some to my mind.
The tricky thing is pitching. We need arms, everybody always wants arms, and starters are likely to be pricey. If someone loved Mitchell or Black, I wouldn’t be opposed to a deal for a starter that wasn’t a rental, but I’m not sure that deal is out there to be had. Moving Frelick is tougher because of his versatility and floor. The wildcard might be Hoskins. If he gets hot, and knowing he’s not here long-term, would the brass have the stones to move him for a starter amidst a pennant chase? Or has the fallout from the Hader deal cooled their heels?
I fully expect another deadline of only minor bullpen bolstering, followed by angst, gnashing of teeth, and recriminations.