The Indians are going to make a move before the July 31 trading deadline.

Team president Mark Shapiro all but guaranteed as much during a radio interview Friday and it’s no secret the club has been actively searching for offensive assistance on the trade market.

But who are they going to get and is it going to be enough?

One thing is clear, with Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore on the shelf with injuries, the Indians need a big bat to stay afloat in the Central Division race — pulling into Saturday trailing the first-place Tigers by 1 1/2 games after leading the division for much of the opening half.

They could use a starting pitcher as well — can’t we all? — but offensive help is the primary focus here.

Unfortunately for the Indians, the pickings are slim in this department — at least from an impact player standpoint, where really, the Mets’ Carlos Beltran and Houston’s Hunter Pence, are the only players reportedly available that fit the bill.

Cleveland has also been tied to interest in outfielders B.J. Upton (Tampa Bay), Josh Willingham (Oakland) and Ryan Ludwick (San Diego), but none of them has the ability to carry an offense like Beltran and Pence, which is the type of player the Indians need for the trade to make a real difference.

Sure, Upton and Ludwick improve the offense, but not enough to part with one of their four prized prospects — pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis.

That’s the dilemma that confronts the Indians in any trade. Because they have little to offer in terms of established veteran players, teams are going to want one or two of their top prospects.

That might be worth it to land someone such as Pence, who is still young, but can be signed long-term, albeit to a projected big money deal that the low-budget Indians normally avoid with players outside the organization.

But Beltran, probably the most talented outfielder available and a middle-of-the-order hitter manager Manny Acta covets, isn’t worth the effort or the price. He’s a 10-5 guy (at least 10 years of experience with the last five on the same team) and has the right to veto any trade, something that’s pretty likely should the Mets try shipping him to Cleveland.

Even if he would accept the trade, how long before his inflated ego would start causing problems in the clubhouse and how long before he would start quitting on the Indians, knowing he was a free agent at the end of the year?

That’s not worth losing part of your projected future, is it?

Normally, I would say go for it. Playoff opportunities don’t come along often, especially for small-market teams such as the Indians, and you can rarely predict when they do — as evidenced by the Tribe’s already surprising run this season.

But dealing one or two from Cleveland’s talented prospect pool doesn’t make much sense, unless it’s for Pence or someone else of his mold — and the Indians don’t appear likely to be in the running for anyone like that.

If it’s not a top-shelf offensive weapon that can hold down the tepee until Choo and Sizemore return, then what the Indians acquire in a trade isn’t going to be enough to turn them back into a contender anyway. Remember, Sizemore and Choo weren’t exactly tearing things up before injuries struck.

Unless there’s a big bopper that surfaces over the next week or so, hold onto your prospects and go get em next year.

Nick of time

Speaking of offense, don’t be surprised to see the arrival of veteran first baseman Nick Johnson, who has been playing in rehab games for Triple-A Columbus after offseason surgery on a problematic wrist.

Cleveland’s starting first baseman, Matt LaPorta, is struggling again — shocker — and it might be worth taking a look at Johnson, an oft-injured player but a career .270 hitter in nine big league seasons, most notably with the Yankees.

In an effort to provide an offensive lift, the Indians have promoted plenty of inexperienced players from the minors — i.e. Cord Phelps, Chisenhall and Kipnis. Why not see what a proven one can do, especially when LaPorta has proven he’s still not ready to fill expectations stemming from the CC Sabathia trade with Milwaukee in 2008?

If Johnson doesn’t hit, but him loose. It’s as easy as that.

Power Poll

1. Philadelphia Phillies: Roy Halladay couldn’t take the heat, but the Phillies are still top chef in this kitchen.

2. Boston Red Sox: Boston looks like it’s brewing up a run at a world title showdown with Philly.

3. New York Yankees: Though always dangerous, Yanks are being forced to overcome a wealth of injuries.

4. Texas Rangers: Defending AL champs are getting hot again and still resemble the only other team in the league that can challenge the Big 2 in the East.

5. Atlanta Braves: Building a nice lead in the NL wild card race, which figures to be their only avenue into the postseason.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.