FanHouse Carlos Carrasco

For a number of major league teams Mondays and Thursdays are travel days. Every Wednesday and Sunday, Fantasy Fill-Ins finds guys who should be widely available on the waiver wire and can step in for the day, helping you gain ground or hold off the pack.

On Monday we have 12 major league games on the docket but on 22 teams are playing because Tampa Bay and New York play in a double header. That means there are plenty of players to choose from on the waiver wire. If you have players in your fantasy baseball lineup from Baltimore, Detroit, Seattle, Oakland, Florida, Atlanta, Washington or the New York Mets, grab a fill-in. They all have the day off on Monday.

Here are the five best options.

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

Apologies for the lack of R.R. yesterday, but we're hitting you with a special extended trade edition today to make up for it. There's been a lot of activity over the past few days, especially with top pitching commodities like Cliff Lee, Jarrod Washburn and George Sherrill. We've also seen a pair of Pittsburgh starters head outta town and two prized minor-league prospects change locations. Time to break it all down from a fantasy perspective.

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Being a Cleveland Indians fan can't be the easiest thing right now. As if the fact that the Tribe are scuffling their way through another long season at 42-60 isn't enough, a familiar feeling crept into the collective psyche of Indians fans everywhere on Wednesday afternoon.

The Indians sent Cliff Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Ben Francisco for four prospects -- pitcher Jason Knapp, pitcher Carlos Carrasco, catcher Lou Marson and shortstop Jason Donald. It's a trade that sounds the death knell for the Indians in 2009, and most likely in 2010 as well. Worse yet, it is nothing new for Indians fans, who just last summer saw the team send its ace CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers for four young prospects.

What's an Indians fan to think of all this? How are they supposed to see the light at the end of the tunnel? If there is one, it's hard to see.

There has been no shortage of teams interested in acquiring Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay since the moment he was put on the block, but all along, the one club pegged as the favorite in the sweepstakes has been the Phillies. Over the weekend, FanHouse's Ed Price reported that the Jays had to have both J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek in any potential deal with Philadelphia, a concession the reigning world champs have so far been unwilling to make.

So with only four days remaining to the trade deadline, we have to wonder if this trade is going to happen. More importantly, should it happen? It's obvious why the Blue Jays want to move Halladay, and even more obvious why the Phillies want him in their rotation, but there are other things Philly should think about besides becoming an instant World Series favorite as it tries to swing a deal for the righty.

FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Philadelphia Phillies.

The City of Brotherly Love's long championship drought came to an end when Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske in Game 5 of the World Series last October. The city exploded in appreciation of a team that's a blueprint for success in the modern game, with homegrown stars studding the lineup and top of the rotation, and a handful of savvy acquisitions, like Lidge, sprinkled around to fill holes.

Wondering which young players could have an impact in the majors this year? Let MLB FanHouse guide the way in Better Know a Prospect. In this edition we look at three players from the world champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Carlos Carrasco, SP: Carrasco could be a major player in deciding who takes the National League East crown in 2009. He won't be in the big leagues before the All-Star break, most likely, but if any of the Phillies starters get hurt or falter he'll be ready to step in during the second half. Carrasco has several good pitches, led by a changeup, but no great ones. He pitched well in a six-start Triple-A cameo at the end of 2008, including 46 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings. He did give up eight unearned runs, an illustration of his propensity for letting innings get away from him when things go badly, but a half-season of polish should have Carrasco ready for the Show.

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.

As you could probably tell from the parade down Broad Street, everything came together for the Phillies in 2008. Cole Hamels made the leap from No. 1 starter to shutdown ace, Brad Lidge didn't blow a save from April to October and the big three in the lineup kept on churning until the Rays were dispatched and Philadelphia rejoiced for the first time in 25 years.

Hamels, Lidge, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley will all be in their familiar roles when next season opens. No matter what the Mets do, that nucleus should make the Phillies the favorites in the NL East, not to mention the two steps beyond that, before next season. That doesn't mean there isn't work to do.

You don't need to look any further than Pat Gillick's retirement and Ruben Amaro's ascension to general manager to see how little time there is to celebrate a title before thinking about next year. The Phillies don't need any wholesale changes, but they can't stand pat either. Like sharks, baseball teams need to keep moving or they'll die where they sit.