CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians traded one of their extra pieces.

They’re keeping their bigger ones — for now.Cleveland began what could be a busy offseason on Wednesday by dealing versatile infielder Erik Gonzalez to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a five-player swap.The AL Central champions sent the 27-year-old Gonzalez http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey , who appeared in 81 games for the Indians last season, along with minor league right-handers Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza to the Pirates for outfielder Jordan Luplow and infielder Max Moroff.Gonzalez batted .265 with one homer and 16 RBIs last season for Cleveland, which signed the Dominican native in 2009. And while he filled a valuable utility role, he was not going to crack the starting lineup behind All-Stars Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez.“That was a tough thing for us,” Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “We’ve had multiple conversations with Erik about it. He’s done so many things to impact the organization in his time with us, from the time he signed. He’s played every position on the field I think other than catcher at one point or another. But, as our roster has taken shape over the course of the past few seasons, we have not had an opportunity for him to play regularly.“So, we feel this will give Erik an opportunity to play more with Pittsburgh and continue his career and potentially blossom into the everyday player we think he can be.”The negligible move gives the Indians needed depth in the outfield, and it could be the first of many deals this winter.Cleveland has not dismissed speculation it may be willing to trade prominent players, including ace Corey Kluber and right-hander Carlos Carrasco. Antonetti said it’s difficult to measure whether the team has seen an increase in teams wanting to do business with the Indians.“I think what I would reiterate is that I think the conversations have reaffirmed for us that we have a lot of players on our roster and throughout our organization that are of interest to other teams,” he said. “And I think what that allows us to do is have a lot of dialogue with other teams about potential opportunities for us to move forward as an organization and get better.”The 25-year-old Luplow is one of those opportunities. Cleveland’s outfield was decimated by injuries last season, and the team is not expected to re-sign Michael Brantley as a free agent.Luplow appeared in 64 games over the past two seasons with the Pirates Scott Kazmir Jersey , who named him their top minor league player in 2017.“He’s capable of playing all three outfield spots,” Antonetti said. “He’s spent most of the time in left and right, but we also believe he has the ability to play center field. He complements our roster really well as a right-handed-hitting outfielder that we think is capable of helping us at the major league level.”Moroff has split the last three seasons between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, appearing in 26 games for the Pirates in 2018.Antonetti dealing young players — especially pitchers — like Thomas and Mendoza is difficult, but sometimes necessary.“Two young pitchers out in Arizona that we like, that have some upside,” he said. “Obviously, they’re a little ways away from the major Leagues, being both 19 years old. So, guys that definitely have some potential to continue to grow and develop and develop into major league pitchers. But, for us to acquire Max and Jordan, we thought it was a worthwhile deal for us to make, because they’re two guys that can help our Major League team here in the near future.” WASHINGTON (AP) The New York Mets have been searching for any reason to smile during a miserable season. This laugher wasn’t exactly what they had in mind.In the highest-scoring game in Nationals franchise history Kurt Suzuki Jersey , Daniel Murphy hit two early home runs and Washington kept pouring it on against emergency reliever Jose Reyes and the Mets in a 25-4 rout Tuesday night.”Even to throw Jose Reyes out there and the guys hit them like they did, you don’t even see that in BP,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. ”Those guys were locked in, they came out tonight and they beat us up pretty bad.”The Nationals set the team scoring mark dating to their days when they started as the Montreal Expos in 1969. It was the Mets’ most-lopsided loss in their 57-season history, worse than a 26-7 pounding by Philadelphia in 1985.It got so out of hand, Mets television announcers Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling and Gary Cohen took turns reading verbatim from the team’s media guide in the late innings – the SNY network played the theme from ”Masterpiece Theatre” in the background.Reyes made the first pitching appearance of his career, and the 35-year-old infielder got tagged for home runs by Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds in a six-run eighth. Throwing a fastball in the mid-80s mph and a curve in the upper 40s, Reyes gave up five hits, walked two and threw 48 pitches.Reyes retired Ryan Zimmerman on a flyball to begin the inning. The Nationals went batty after that, and Zimmerman came up again with two outs.This time, Reyes floated in a pitch that hit Zimmerman in the leg. Zimmerman did a little shake in the batter’s box, then playfully faked a charge toward the mound http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey , drawing a laugh from Reyes.”I didn’t want to make two outs against him. I’ve played against Jose for a long time. He’s one of my favorite players to play against,” Zimmerman said. ”He always has a smile on his face. That was pretty funny and surreal to hit against him after all that we’ve been through against each other.”Reyes said he had wanted to pitch in one game before he retires.”When you are on the mound before you throw a pitch, it’s fun,” he said. ”But when you start to see people hit a homer and stuff … I don’t want to see that.”Asked if he was available for Wednesday’s game, Reyes kidded: ”Not for pitch.”Reyes wore one of ace Jacob deGrom’s gloves on the hill. DeGrom was among many players on both sides chuckling at the spectacle.Trea Turner, who apologized before the game to his teammates for homophobic and racially insensitive tweets he sent several years ago, had four of Washington’s 26 hits. Pitcher Tanner Roark hit a three-run double during a seven-run first inning.Murphy drove in six runs, Anthony Rendon had four RBIs and Zimmerman also homered.Ahead 7-0, the Nationals then scored exactly three runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.Hours after general manager Mike Rizzo capped a relatively uneventful trade deadline day by expressing his confidence in the Nationals as currently constituted, Washington broke loose in evening its record at 53-53.Bryce Harper, who had been mentioned in trade speculation http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey , hit a pair of RBI doubles and scored three times.”It’s been an emotional day and it was a good way to end it,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said.Leading 25-1 in the ninth, the Nationals still hit a little speed bump at the end. Reliever Shawn Kelley gave up a home run to Austin Jackson, wound up and flung his glove to the ground.The homer came after Kelley, working quickly, had been told to slow down by the plate umpire.”I was just trying to get through the inning and get the game over with,” Kelley said. ”I thought everybody had seen enough baseball for one evening.”Kelley said he was sorry for his tantrum.”You should never throw your glove. We should act like adults,” he said.Jeff McNeil hit his first career home run. As he headed from the plate back the Mets dugout, he already had the souvenir. The ball came back on the field and was flipped to him before he reached the bench.Roark (5-12) went seven innings. Steven Matz (5-9) got only two outs and allowed seven runs in the shortest start of his career.Murphy had an RBI single in the first, a two-run homer in the second and a three-run drive in the third. The ex-Met is hitting .391 (59 for 151) with 11 homers and 43 RBIs against New York.MOVESMets: Claimed INF Jack Reinheimer, 26, off waivers from Arizona and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas. Reinheimer, designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks on July 27 Mike Foltynewicz Jersey , was batting .237 with three homers and 21 RBIs at Triple-A Reno. To make room on the 40-man roster, OF Yoenis Cespedes was transferred to the 60-day DL.Nationals: Sent reliever Brandon Kintzler to the Cubs for RHP Jhon Romero, who was 1-2 with nine saves and a 3.27 ERA at Class A Myrtle Beach. . Activated Rendon from the family medical leave list. . Recalled RHP Wander Suero from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned INF Matt Reynolds to Syracuse.HIT MACHINEWith two hits, Zimmerman became the all-time hit leader in Nationals/Expos franchise history with 1,696, surpassing Tim Wallach (1,694).TRAINER’S ROOMMets: 1B Wilmer Flores left the game in the first inning with dehydration and dizziness. … INF Todd Frazier (left rib cage muscle strain) is scheduled to play nine innings in a rehab assignment in Brooklyn on Wednesday. … Callaway said OF Jay Bruce (sore right hip) will start hitting on Wednesday.Nationals: RHP Sean Doolittle (left foot stress reaction) had an MRI on Monday, which was virtually unchanged from last week. Doolittle was hoping for improvement, but said the trainers were pleased there was no change.UP NEXTMets RHP Noah Syndergaard (6-1, 2.89) returns from the disabled list to oppose LHP Tommy Milone (0-0, 5.40) in the series finale.—