Branyan traded to Seattle
This is an interesting deal, if only because it has been shown in the last 20 years that when these two teams deal with each other, one side gets humiliated.

-Omar Vizquel cost the Indians Felix Fermin (out of baseball in three years) and Reggie Jefferson (who was a bench player) in December 1993.

-The Indians traded David Bell to the M's for Joey Cora, who I would imagine most casual fans don't even remember playing for the Indians.

-Asdrubal Cabrera for Eduardo Perez. Safe to say who won that one.

-Ben Broussard for Shin Soo Choo. Outright robbery.

-Of course, before last season, Indians GM Mark Shapiro felt guilty, and gave Seattle Franklin Gutierrez, while Cleveland received Joe Smith and Luis Valbuena as part of a three-way deal with the Mets. Not one of Shapiro's better moves, unless Valbuena somehow figures out how to hit big league pitching.

So this deal. The Indians have now traded Russell three times. In return, Cleveland got a couple of minor leaguers, who, at this moment, I'm too lazy to look up.

But why did Seattle, 12 games under .500, add an inkury-plagued, overpriced strikeout monster? Branyan has a $5 million option for 2011, but does anyone really see him being a steady contributor after another year of wear and tear?

Confusing. I say the Indians got the best of this.