Preller didn't see good value at Deadline

MIAMI -- Padres general manager A.J. Preller said he wasn't put off or offended by criticism that the team decided not to move more players before Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline.

"I think people have a right to their opinion. I think maybe there was an expectation level set, with the offseason moves, that we were going to make seven different moves or something," Preller said late Saturday.

The Padres only made one deal before the Trade Deadline and that came on Friday when they acquired left-handed relief pitcher Marc Rzepczynski from the Indians for outfielder Abraham Almonte.

Preller said the team had several conversations with teams, many that included their players who will be free agents after the season -- relievers Shawn Kelley and Joaquin Benoit, starting pitcher Ian Kennedy and outfielder Justin Upton.

The team was prepared to deal, but didn't find anything compelling enough to merit moving players.

"At the end of the day, the old adage 'Sometimes the best deals you do are the ones you don't,' [fit]," Padres president and CEO Mike Dee said Friday.

In the end, though, the Padres opted to stand pat, hoping their recent stretch of solid baseball -- they've won 12 of their last 17 games after Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Marlins -- would continue with this current group.

After what he was told before signing with the team in February -- to the largest contract in club history -- pitcher James Shields wasn't surprised in the least that Preller decided to keep this group together.

"It showed a lot, but from my perspective, personally, that's what they told me from the beginning when I signed here," Shields said. "Not only do they want to win now, they want to win in the next four years."

Video: SD@MIA: Shields allows two runs, K's four vs. Marlins

Preller wouldn't address any particular trade rumor, only to say that the compensation for moving players wasn't going to net the Padres the pieces they were seeking.

"Ultimately we didn't see value for the moves we wanted to be made at that time," Preller said. "We decided to go forward with our club and see how our team plays in the next few weeks."

Now that the Trade Deadline has passed, Preller said there could still be opportunities to add to the roster or move players, though that becomes tricky given they must pass through waivers.

It's expected the Padres will keep an eye out for help at shortstop, a position they would like to make an upgrade at.

"I think that everyone looks at the July 31 Trade Deadline as the be-all, end-all," Preller said. "… But there's been [good] players moved in August. Now we'll go through the waiver process in the next month, and every day there's players out there you can make a decision on."