Cleveland ? Still searching.

That was the message that General Manager Mark Shapiro, who remains bent on finding a way to keep the Indians viable contenders for the playoffs, delivered Monday.

“I’m trying to fix things,” said Shapiro, who might be running out of internal ways to alter the composition of the roster.

Shapiro is trying to maneuver his way into a deal, but until the July 31 trading deadline gets closer, that might be difficult.

“I’ve had a whole lot of conversations with a whole lot of general managers,” said Shapiro, who added that nothing is imminent. “Trading a big-league guy for a big-league guy is extremely difficult to do.

“But I think what goes on now can sow the seeds for something later.”

In other words, Shapiro will continue to feel out other personnel executives in an effort to find a fit.

The Cleveland Indians' Ronnie Belliard, left, talks to Ramon Vazquez as they walk to the dugout during Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland won Sunday, but still has work to do toward its postseason aspirations.

One problem is most teams lack any urgency to make a move. Moreover, so many clubs believe they are still on the fringes of contention, they will not part with a veteran.

That’s why the majority of in-season swaps probably won’t happen until the trade deadline gets close.

“It’s a long shot,” Shapiro said. “No deals are happening right now. But as the deadline nears, there’s always a gradual increase in activity.”

Shapiro has another problem: What kind of player should he look for? Several areas of the club have caused problems, from the middle relievers to the rotation to the defense to Jhonny Peralta, who seems to be a victim of the sophomore jinx even though he’s a little past his sophomore season.

“A lot of my frustration is that it’s a moving target,” Shapiro said. “It’s not one player or one part of the team.”

As for Peralta, the GM believes he will snap out of his lengthy slump. The question is when.

“I’m disappointed, but I’m not that surprised,” Shapiro said. “He’s a young player coming off a successful season. Pitchers have adjusted to him. But he will hit again. He’s going to be a good major-league hitter.”

That said, in the short term, Shapiro might be willing to sit Peralta down for more than a day or two if he had someone on the bench who could pick up the team for an extended period.

If the Tribe continues to struggle, would Shapiro turn from buying players to selling veterans at the trading deadline?

“I don’t see us throwing in the towel at any point,” he said. “But it is possible that we might be willing to trade a veteran major-league player or a guy who’s going to be a free agent next year.

“We will not trade away any of our core players. And these are scenarios that are not even being discussed right now.”

Shapiro does not think the bullpen’s inexperience is a handicap to overcome.

“I don’t think there is any recipe for a successful bullpen,” Shapiro said. “I like to have two or three veteran guys in the back end, and we have two.

“Would I like to have more? Sure. But I don’t think (experience) is the prerequisite for a successful bullpen.”