CLEVELAND — The symbolism was accidental.

Nevertheless, at the 11th hour Saturday night, the Indians acquired a reliever as the clock reached a more significant 11th hour, in terms of the team’s chances to salvage something from the season.
After a 7-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field, General Manager Mark Shapiro announced that he had traded infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-handed reliever Chris Perez, a hard-throwing 23-year-old.
“We feel we’ve acquired a pitcher who’s upside is pitching in the back end of the bullpen and someone who will be under our control for multiple years,” Shapiro said. “He has two things: (good) stuff and swing-and-miss (capabilities). His fastball is 93-95 miles per hour, and he has touched 98. He also has a swing-and-miss slider.”
In addition to Perez, the Tribe obtained a player to be named from a list of minor leaguers.
“We can take the rest of the season to scout him in the minor leagues or (make up our minds) before,” Shapiro said. “This is a piece that is of signicant value for us.”
Asked if the player were two or more years from reaching the big leagues, Shapiro said, “That would not be a safe statement to make.”
Perez is 1-1 with one save and a 4.18 ERA in 29 appearances for the Cardinals. In 23 innings, he has struck out 30, but he also has walked the unacceptable number of 15. He began the year at Triple-A Memphis.
“He still has some development to do,” Shapiro said.
Where does he fit in the Tribe’s current bullpen?
“Our main goal is to just to put him in a good position and go from there,” Shapiro said.
Trading DeRosa does not signal that the Indians are giving up on the season.
“The move has a chance to help us this year,” Shapiro said. “We are bringing in a piece in an area that sorely needs to be addressed.”
DeRosa had mixed feelings about the deal.
“I’m disappointed in the sense that I’d like to rewind the season and start over again here,” he said. “The toughest part will be leaving these guys. But from a selfish standpoint, I’m going to a team that’s fighting for a division championship.”
The Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers are in a pitched battle for the National League Central Division title.
After a slow start, DeRosa is batting .270 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 278 at-bats.
He has been hearing trade rumors about himself for weeks on radio and television, but Saturday night’s deal caught him by surprise.
“I read about it every night,” he said. “But there was nothing today that made me expect anything until I was left out of the lineup. So I’m not shocked.”