A month after criticizing his club's management and decision-making process, Indians closer Chris Perez told media (including MLB.com's Jordan Bastian) that he didn't speak out in an attempt to be traded and that he wants to keep pitching in Cleveland. According to Perez, the firing of manager Manny Acta alleviated some of his issues with the team.
"A lot of frustration from those comments, a lot of that walked out the door last week. I'll just leave it at that," Perez said. "It doesn't mean everything is in tip-top shape over here. Obviously, we fell short of our goals and we need to see why."
I profiled Perez as a trade candidate in the wake of his original comments and noted that even if he hadn't spoken out, the closer could have been dealt anyway given that he earned $4.5MM this season and will be in line for a raise this winter when he is arbitration-eligible for the second time. Perez said he spoke to Indians GM Chris Antonetti on Monday and doesn't believe he will be traded (as tweeted by Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer), but if he is, it's a sign that the Indians aren't planning to contend in 2013.
"That's a business decision that they're going to have to make," Perez said. "That's not up to me. That's not my decision. I have two years left here at least. Right now, it's up to them. I think whatever they decide to do is definitely going to tell you which way the team is going one way or the other…I kind of find it hard to see them keeping me here and then trading other people. But, you never know."
This guy never shuts up. He must be the smartest guy in baseball.
He may actually have been smart accidentally here. With his comment about whether the Indians trade him or not will indicate if they are trying to win, he has essentially put the FO in a position where trading him will ostensibly admit that they aren’t trying to contend in 2013.
I missed the part where he criticized the manager in the original article. The first quote has him directly criticizing the owner, and the next one criticizes the GM, whom Perez sees as the person who directs where the owner’s money goes. Finally he criticizes both the owner and GM with his Willingham line. How does Acta being fired alleviate any of the issues he brought up?