Is Bartolo Colon a stopgap measure or a long-term solution?

The biggest transaction of the week is undoubtedly the decision by the Los Angeles Dodgers to call up phenom Clayton Kershaw from Double-A. Kershaw had been building on a tremendous 2007 campaign by starting out 2008 with a 2.28 ERA in nine starts. His first start against the Cardinals was far from a disappointment, as he went six innings of two-run ball, with seven strikeouts against only one walk. Some bullpen issues deprived him of the win, but this kid is for real. The Dodgers may ultimately send him down when Jason Schmidt comes off the disabled list, but for now, grab him and ride the wave.

In other Triple-A news, the Mariners called up Jeremy Reed from Triple-A Tacoma. Reed has been a pretty large disappointment thus far in his major league career, but his numbers at Triple-A in 2008 were amazing, batting .349 over 150 at-bats, with six home runs and six stolen bases. He's collected three starts since his call-up, and with the Mariners struggling at 14 games under .500, Reed could get yet another opportunity to prove himself at the major league level. He is probably only worth picking up in deep AL-Only leagues for now.

There was quite a bit of movement among big names, present and past this week. The San Diego Padres sent Jake Peavy to the 15-Day disabled list with a strained right elbow. It does not figure to be a Tommy John-type injury, but the concern is still there. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI this week, which will give us more information.

The Detroit Tigers activated one of their big off-season pickups by bringing Dontrelle Willis off the disabled list. Willis struggled mightily in his six innings of work in 2008, and based on the way he has been trending the past few seasons, you should stash Willis on your reserve roster until he proves he can still get major league hitters out consistently. Watch his walk numbers for an indication, as Dontrelle has his biggest problems when he cannot get the ball into the strike zone.

The New York Mets released Jorge Sosa this week, which was not a surprise. This signing was not one of general manager Omar Minaya's finer moments, and Sosa was a train wreck every time he touched the ball this year. Mercifully, he was finally let loose. Sosa has had a track record of occasional fits of success in the major, so do not be surprised to see him catch on somewhere. You can avoid him for fantasy purposes, however.

In other news, the Boston Red Sox activated Bartolo Colon from Triple-A. Colon is a high risk-high reward type, who has been truly dominant at Triple-A, allowing only one run over 14 innings. Still, it is extremely questionable to rely on someone who has not pitched effectively since 2005. Keep your expectations low. In order to make room for Colon, the Red Sox optioned Julian Tavarez to Triple-A. Tavarez chose not to accept the assignment, however, and he has elected to become a free agent. Over the last few seasons, Tavarez has gone from ace setup man to disaster of a middle reliever, as he watched his WHIP balloon over 2.000 this year. At 35 years old, it might be time for Tavarez to hang them up, as it has been several seasons since he was effective. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

In a move to help supplement their surprising first place run, the Florida Marlins went out and signed the recently released Jacque Jones. Jones has seen his power dip dramatically the last two seasons (hint, hint), and he will be in a pitcher's park. Nevertheless, on a team that has started Alfredo Amezaga, Luis Gonzalez, and Cody Ross in the outfield, Jones should get ample chance to shine. He is worth a look in NL-Only leagues.

Finally, the San Francisco Giants sent rookie speedster Eugenio Velez to Triple-A. Though he had eight stolen bases through only 41 games, he had also been caught five times, and was batting a measly .207, with a .244 OBP. He is a bit old for a prospect, as he has already turned 26, but he will need to work on his hitting down at Triple-A, or he will be reduced to nothing more than a pinch runner.

That is all for this week. Tune in next time.