Nate Schierholtz is back in the minors for now, but he will not remain there for long.

Welcome back to another edition of In Focus, the most important and noteworthy transactions of the past week. As the season gets closer, teams are ironing out their rosters, and clearing out some of the riff raff (or, in the case of the Reds, demoting arguably their best Center Field option, Jay Bruce). There were a few other notable moves this week, and here is a look at those.

Monday

The St. Louis Cardinals optioned Colby Rasmus to minor league camp. One of the best prospects in the major leaguers, Rasmus had a strong spring training, batting .300 with 2 home runs and 7 runs batted in. However, with Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan already guaranteed outfield spots, and Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker putting together fine spring trainings as well, the Cardinals apparently felt that Rasmus could do with a bit more seasoning. Expect Rasmus to be called up to the big club by mid-season, and although he could struggle a bit at first, he is the real deal, and will begin to hit before too long.

Tuesday

The only notable transaction was the San Francisco Giants sending Nate Schierholtz to Triple-A. This was likely a numbers game more than anything, as bench players Rajai Davis and Fred Lewis are out of options. Schierholtz has solid power, which is something the Giants figure to need at some point, so he may earn a call-up before too long. He is someone to keep an eye on, especially if Dan Ortmeier struggles to start the year.

Wednesday

The New York Mets optioned Fernando Martinez to minor league camp. Not much of a surprise, as Martinez is not yet 20 years old. He has all-world talent, and in keeper leagues, he is certainly someone to keep on your radar.

The Boston Red Sox optioned Bartolo Colon to Triple-A. He can become a free agent if the Sox do not call him up by May 1. He could be a real difference maker if he can get his fastball back even remotely close to the level of a few years ago. He is probably not worth picking unless you are in a truly deep AL-Only league, but an interesting prospect nonetheless.

Thursday

A busy day, as the Washington Nationals performed a makeover on their rotation, as they shockingly released John Patterson, while simultaneously placing Shawn Hill on the 15-day disabled list (surprise, surprise!). Although Patterson was smacked around a bit in spring training, this was a fairly shocking move, which may indicate that the numerous arm injuries suffered by Patterson the past few years have taken too much of a toll. Still, expect Patterson to catch on somewhere, and he could make for an intriguing $1 end game selection. As far as Hill is concerned, injuries are a way of life with him, and this will probably not be the last trip to the DL for him in 2008. He should be effective when he can stay in the rotation, but the question really is how many innings that will be. Anything more than 150 should be considered a gift.

In other important news, the Cincinnati Reds decided that Corey Patterson, Norris Hopper, and Ryan Freel were better options in Center Field than top prospect Jay Bruce. Once Dusty Baker was hired, everyone saw the writing on the wall, and when Bruce did not excel this spring, the decision was inevitable. It is possible, albeit unlikely, that Bruce will spend the entire year in Triple-A, earning only a September call-up, but the more likely scenario is that he gets an early summer call-up. Still, with Baker as manager, Bruce's 2008 contribution may be minimal.

Friday

The San Francisco Giants claimed Jose Castillo off waivers from the Florida Marlins. It was a bit of a surprising move, considering that between Kevin Frandsen, Omar Vizquel, Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia, Eugenio Velez, and Dan Ortmeier, one would think someone could play third base. In all honesty, Jose Castillo is not much better, but it looks like he will at least get the lion's share of at-bats to start the year. You can probably leave him off your radar, unless you are in a deep NL-Only league.

Saturday

The Atlanta Braves options Brandon Jones to Triple-A. A top prospect, Jones entered camp with a shot at a platoon situation with Matt Diaz, but while Diaz excelled, Jones struggled mightily. Jones still has a solid chance of contributing, but keep an eye on Jordan Schafer who could hop Jones in the pecking order, if he continues his hot spring in the minors.

Sunday

The San Diego Padres optioned Chase Headley to Triple-A. Headley was expected to compete for the starting Left Field spot in San Diego, along with Scott Hairston. When Jim Edmonds suffered a predictable injury, Hairston slid over to Center Field, which seemingly opened the door for Headley. Headley really did not do anything to warrant this demotion, batting .333 with 4 home runs, and 14 runs batted in, but in the end, it looks like the Padres decided he would be better served getting full time at bats in the Triple-A, rather than either platooning, or playing sporadically in the majors.

That is all for now. Most of you are probably drafting next Saturday, so good luck to all, and I will see you next week for the first in-season look at transactions.