Okay, So Maybe Jason Bay Is Going To Cleveland After All

Yesterday Matt Watson reported that all that talk of Jason Bay going to Cleveland in exchange for Kelly Shoppach and Cliff Lee was dead. The trade wasn't going to happen.

Things changed over night, because now it appears that a deal is seriously being looked at by both sides, and it could be completed by the end of the day.

That Jason Bay deal, all of a sudden, is alive.

In a surprising twist, the Pirates and Cleveland Indians revived talks at the Opryland Hotel late last night and developed a framework for a five-player trade, Bay and catcher Ronny Paulino going to Cleveland for outfielder Franklin Gutierrez, catcher Kelly Shoppach and either starter Cliff Lee or a minor-league pitching prospect.

So let's see. As of yesterday afternoon, the Indians didn't feel that this deal was necessary. While they were offering Kelly Shoppach and Cliff Lee, they didn't feel giving up anything else for Bay was needed to make their team better.

Then there was that minor trade between the Tigers and Marlins, and for some reason the Indians were willing to add more to their offer, in the form of Franklin Gutierrez.

Still, in my opinion there has to be a better deal for the Pirates out there somewhere. Franklin Gutierrez and Kelly Shoppach are nice, but Cliff Lee had a 6.29 ERA last season before being sent to the minors, and is guaranteed $10.5 million over the next two years.

Especially now that the Indians feel pressured to make a move after the Tigers big catch, the Pirates could probably try and pry a little more value out of them.