Second baseman Ronnie Belliard's $4 million option was exercised Friday as the Cleveland Indians rewarded one of their steadier and more underrated players. In his second season with Cleveland, Belliard hit .284 with 36 doubles and set career highs with 17 homers and 78 RBIs. He had the AL's fifth-highest fielding percentage among second basemen. If the Indians had not exercised Belliard's option by Nov. 15, the 30-year-old would have received a $500,000 buyout and become eligible for free agency. ``The best option is when a player picks it up himself by his level of performance,'' Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said. ``He genuinely has a passion for the game and plays on a daily basis like he enjoys it. That is representative of the attributes we want in our players.''