CLEVELAND — Casey Blake said his preference was to remain in Cleveland, possibly signing a long-term contract with the Indians when the season was complete.

So much for the first of his wishes.

Blake, who is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season and could still re-sign with the Indians, was traded along with cash Saturday to the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospects Carlos Santana (catcher) and RHP Jon Meloan.

It was one of two trades the Indians orchestrated on the day, also adding RHP Anthony Reyes from St. Louis for minor league pitcher Luis Perdomo, as the team continues to build for the future, just a year removed from winning the Central Division.

“The underlying theme is that we’re in a situation we didn’t want to be in,” said Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro, whose club entered Saturday 11 games under .500 at 45-56 and 13 games out of first place. “But we’re committed to taking advantage and making an opportunity out of the situation we’re in.

“There are two ways we can progress. We can play it out and bring the same players back next year or we can attempt to infuse talent, and that’s what we’ve done. We are where we are and we’re going to make something positive out of it.”

The Indians will miss the versatile Blake, who is in the midst of one of his better seasons, batting .289 with 11 home runs and 58 RBIs in 94 games for Cleveland. He started at three different positions — third base, first base and right field (four counting DH) — during his five-plus-year tenure after being plucked out of obscurity from the Twins as a free agent prior to the 2003 season. He quickly became one of the more popular players in the clubhouse.

“As all trades are, this was a tough one,” Shapiro said, “especially because of what he has been (to this team) and what he’s meant to this clubhouse.”

“He was the ultimate teammate,” Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. “His influence on the young players will stand the test of time. It’s a great story. We gave him an opportunity and he took advantage of it.”

The Indians will pay the remainder of the $6.1 million salary that Blake is scheduled to earn this season under a one-year contract that he signed to avoid arbitration this winter. If Blake, 34, opts for free agency at the end of the year, Cleveland is likely to be among the bidders for his services.

“It’s a guy we expect to maintain a relationship with and a guy that I firmly expect us to play on if he becomes a free agent,” Shapiro said.

Blake was expected to be at Dodger Stadium on Saturday for Los Angeles’ game against Washington, but his playing status was uncertain.

The weak-hitting Dodgers (13th in the National League) reportedly had the opportunity to acquire Blake at the start of the month as part of a blockbuster deal that would’ve sent C.C. Sabathia and infielder Jamey Carroll to the Dodgers for five players — including Santana, one of Los Angeles’ top prospects, who is considered the gem of the deal.

The converted catcher led all of minor league baseball with 96 RBIs in 99 games for the Single-A Inland Empire 66ers through Friday, batting .323 with 34 doubles and 14 home runs. He is expected to report to advanced Class A Kinston.

“When you talk about upside, he’s a guy that’s a switch-hitting run producer,” Shapiro said. “He’s a very intriguing guy with a very high ceiling.”

Reyes, 26, has split the season between the Cardinals bullpen and Triple-A Memphis’ rotation, opening the year in St. Louis, where he went 2-1 with a 4.91 ERA and one save in 10 relief appearances. As a starter for Memphis, he went 2-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 11 outings.

Reyes has appeared on the big league level for the Cards in each of the last four seasons, starting and winning Game 1 of the 2006 World Series against Detroit. He is expected to join Triple-A Buffalo’s rotation.

Meloan, 24, made his major league debut with the Dodgers last season, but has spent the entire year at Triple-A Las Vegas — 5-10 with a 4.97 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) — after Los Angeles converted him to a starter. Shapiro said Meloan would report to Buffalo and finish the remainder of the year back in a relief role.

In Sabathia and Blake, the Indians have traded two players in the final year of their contracts with the team. Starting pitcher Paul Byrd also fits that bill and has reportedly been dangled as trade bait, but Shapiro did not indicate that another deal was imminent.

“I don’t anticipate that at this point, but we certainly remain open to any ideas,” he said. “(We’ll do) anything we can do to ensure that next year’s team is a championship-caliber team and we’re back on track, and that this year was an aberration.”

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

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