Andy Marte: It's Time to Make a Statement to the Cleveland Indians

Shape up or ship out. That's the situation Andy Marte is facing this spring as he competes for a backup job with the Cleveland Indians. Actually, "Shape Up" was the request the Indians made towards Marte in the off-season. The ship out part is just me being fancy to catch your attention... Marte is on his last legs though. He has run out of minor league options. The third base job is Casey Blake's, so his last hope is to beat out Josh Barfield or Asdrubal Cabrera for the last roster spot. With Cabrera a virtual lock to win the second base spot and Barfield having options left, that gives Marte a leg up. And he'll need it. The perception coming out of Indians camp is Marte will make the roster no matter what. The Indians aren't about to jettison him like they did with Brandon Phillips. Certainly by not living up to the request to get in shape Marte is now skating on thin ice. He is looking lighter on his feet but, according to Manager Eric Wedge, "It's OK, it's ... [link]