FanHouse AndyMarte

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

When you select Carlos Pena in fantasy baseball, you know you aren't getting batting average help. Still, his career-low .223 mark this year was well below expectations, and up until August 5, the power numbers weren't nearly high enough to console disappointed Pena owners.

Well, that has all changed. Since that date, Pena has slugged 11 home runs and driven home 22. His average has been respectable (.286) and his OPS is ridiculous (1.307). On the season, Pena now has a six home run lead on the rest of the AL with 37. He's also third in RBI (91).

MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.

The second half of the season is in full swing and lo and behold if capitalism hasn't reared it's ugly head once again. Billy Beane was spun off Matt Holliday (as expected of course) and the eleventy billion dollar payroll machine that is the New York Yankees are in first place in the AL East. (Of course, that can't explain why the Mets are horrible but that's a whole other thing.)

Will the Yankees' surge be enough to propel them into the critically important No. 1 slot of the FanHouse MLB Power Rankings? Find out after the jump.

The Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians may both call the AL Central home, but apparently that isn't going to stop them from trying to work out a trade that would help both teams.

You see, the Royals feel like they need to improve their offense, and while they're at it, they'd like to move David DeJesus to left field, where he's a better defensive option.

The Indians, meanwhile, have a surplus of young outfield talent and have an opening at third base after sending Casey Blake to the Dodgers in July. They were hoping Andy Marte would grow into that third baseman, but it's starting to look like Marte will never reach the potential the Tribe originally saw in him.

Which is why this prospective trade between the two teams makes so much sense.

With the Indians in full 2009 mode after trading CC Sabathia to the Brewers, there's a lot of speculation going around Cleveland about changes that will be made with the team. Some guys may have new addresses come August 1st, and players that are still on the team may have new roles.

One of the rumors going around is that shortstop Jhonny Peralta's days at shortstop may be numbered, and that the team is planning on moving him to third base in the future. It's a rumor Jhonny's manager Eric Wedge denies.

"He's our shortstop. I don't see us making any change anytime soon," Wedge said. "I see a guy who is doing everything he can to be the best he can be."

"As [first base coach]Luis [Rivera] has continued to get a better feel for the league and different players he's helped Jhonny better position himself. He's doing a better job of being in the right place at the right time. There is always going to be that ball that is just off the glove. But he's as good as anybody in the game, if not the best, at the routine play."

So Peralta is good defensively, but only if the ball is hit right at him? I understand Wedge wants to support his player (especially considering that player is hitting .341 with 5 homers and 20 RBI since moving to the cleanup spot), but a move to third base would make a lot of sense.

The Atlanta Braves are known for stocking their lineup with homegrown prospects, from Chipper Jones to Brian McCann, from Jeff Francoeur to Yunel Escobar. But if I were a major league GM, Atlanta's farm system is the last place I'd look when brainstorming a potential trade. Why? Because they have an uncanny knack for only dealing prospects who don't pan out.

Remember the hype that once surrounded Dan Meyer? He was supposed to be the next great Braves ace; now he's a 26-year-old A's farmhand. What about Wilson Betemit? Once considered the best prospect in baseball, he's now a mere utility man, and not a very good one at that.

Perhaps the most damning example of the Braves selling a guy while his value was high is Andy Marte. In the winter after the 2005 season, he was considered one of the top prospects in the game and was the centerpiece of two blockbuster trades, first going to Boston in a package for Edgar Renteria and then to Cleveland in a package for Coco Crisp.

Since then? The guy's put in two uninspiring minor league seasons while hitting just .196 in 291 big league at-bats, including one hit in 13 at-bats this year. Once considered the team's third basemen of the future, he could be hours away from being the third baseman of the past: the Buffalo News reports that the Indians may designate Marte or Jason Michaels for assignment to make room for the arrival of Ben Francisco, a fringe prospect who likely projects as a fourth outfielder. But should Marte really be considered a real disappointment or just another Braves' triumph?

Andy Marte is supposed to be the starting third baseman for the Cleveland Indians. Supposed to be. The problem is that so far in camp, Marte hasn't been getting the majority of the starts at third.

Casey Blake has started 3 games at third, and combined with Hector Luna, Mike Rouse, and Keith Ginter, the quartet has started 8 games at the hot corner. Marte has started only six.

Blake is slotted to be in a platoon at first base with Ryan Garko and Victor Martinez, yet he's spending more and more time at third while Travis Hafner has started three games at first. If the Indians are giving Hafner chances at first base that's a very strong sign that they are seriously considering moving Blake to third base.

All of which makes you wonder what the team is going to do with Marte. Marte struggled last season with a .226 average and a paltry OBP of .287. To his credit, Marte improved over the last month and a half hitting .267 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI, but privately the Indians still aren't convinced. He's shown he can hit the fastball, but is absolutely baffled by breaking balls away. If the Indians have noticed this, you can be sure the rest of the Majors have too, and Marte shouldn't expect to see a lot of fastballs when he's at the plate.

Even Marte's defense is coming into question. He has good hands and a very strong arm, but he hasn't shown enough range to be considered a superior defensive third baseman. What that means is if Marte isn't going to be a Gold Glove caliber defender, he's going to have to hit a lot more to warrant playing time.

Until then, it seems that except for centerfield and a lesser extent shortstop and second base, the entire Indians lineup will be a platoon.

A recap of yesterday's spring training games...

Um, so maybe Sosa is fo' real.

Sammy Sosa hit a three-run homer, his second of spring training, in the Rangers' 9-8 victory against the Diamondbacks. 700 home runs, here he comes!

I spy Roger Clemens.

The Greatest Pitcher Ever showed up at Legends Field to watch the Yankees - and more specifically friend Andy Pettitte - pitch against the Reds in the squads' 1-1 tie in ten innings.

"I don't even know," Clemens said. "I don't know what's going to happen."

While on the YES network, he said, "I'm failing at retirement miserably. I'm not very good at it."

This guy never quits, does he? Unbelievable.

Two's company.

Jason Michaels, Franklin Gutierrez and Andy Marte each went for two hits in Cleveland's 10-2 win against Tampa Bay. Bonus points if you can tell me which positions these guys play, without using the Web.


You've got to D up, son.

The Marlins committed five errors in their 10-0 loss to the Dodgers. NOONAN!