This is not good news for the Mets, who were without Reyes for a lengthy time last season when they slumped to a 70-92 record and fourth place in the National League East Division.

In case you haven’t heard, Reyes has been diagnosed with an overactive thyroid.

“Jose is obviously a little bit disappointed that it’s going to be a matter of weeks as opposed to days, but it’s a completely, treatable, curable situation,” said his agent, Peter Greenberg.

Reyes was pulled from the lineup on March 4th after doctors detected an abnormality during his physical.

In addition to rest, Reyes has also been asked to change his diet. He must refrain from eating seafood, which has iodine.

Right now it doesn’t appear that Reyes’ condition will keep him out for a lengthy period of time, but this is still a blow to the Mets who are already expected to be with out Center fielder Carlos Beltran for the first month of the season.

“It doesn’t look good right now.” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Thursday.

After such a tough 2009, the Mets would like to get off to a fast start in 2010, but that’s going to be tough to do with two of their best players likely on the disabled list.

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Webb was expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the season following offseason shoulder surgery, but it appears that may not be the case anymore.

The D-backs are saying that Webb has reached a “plateau” in his recovery. Webb doesn’t feel he is making the progress that was expected and has not thrown a bullpen session for a week as a result.

So what has Webb been doing you ask? He’s been playing catch.

“It’s getting fairly obvious that it’s going to be difficult to get him ready for the season,” manager A.J. Hinch said, “but I don’t think we’re to that date quite yet. But again, I think the most important thing is to get him healthy.”

Webb had been penciled in as the team’s No. 3 starter with April 7 as the target date for his first start, but this will likely no longer be the case.

“Just because he’s delayed and we had to take a little bit of a stop doesn’t mean he’s shut down,” Hinch said. “He’s throwing. … You never know when it’s going to click for him and he’s going to feel better. This might be all he needed was a couple of days’ breather.”

Webb’s health is vital to Arizona’s chances of winning the N.L. West. Without him, they managed only 70 wins and a last place finish in 2009.

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American League Central Champ: Minnesota Twins - Minnesota has the A.L.’s last two MVP Award winners on its roster, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Enough said. I believe Minnesota has the best offense in the division. So if the starting pitching is as solid as it was last season, there’s no reason to think the Twins can’t win their sixth division title in the last nine seasons. The Minnesota Twins are listed at +130 to win the A.L. Central.

American League West Champ: Los Angles Angels – The Rangers and Mariners have closed the gap, but I still look for the Angels to win their fourth straight division title. The Angels still won the division by 10 games in 2009 so the aforementioned challengers still have some work to do. I know the Halos lost some key contributors, but plenty of talent still remains, especially in the starting pitching rotation with Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders. The Los Angeles Angels are listed at +180 to win the A.L. West.

American League Wild Card: Boston Red Sox – Boston should have the edge in terms of the wild card race because of its exceptional starting rotation with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey at the top. The Boston Red Sox are listed at +210 to win the A.L. East.

National League East Champ:Philadelphia Phillies – Off three straight division titles and back-to-back trips to the World Series, there’s no reason to believe the Phillies won’t be right in the mix for another World Series title in 2010, especially after adding ace Roy Halladay. The Philadelphia Phillies are listed at -210 to win the N.L. East.

National League Central Champ: St. Louis Cardinals – After playing second fiddle to the Cubs in 2007 and 2008, the Cardinals climbed back atop the Central last season thanks to another MVP season from Albert Pujols and the dominant pitching of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. The addition of Matt Holliday proved beneficial as well. With all these pieces coming back, the Cards should hold on to the top spot. The St. Louis Cardinals are listed at -190 to win the N.L. Central.

National League West Champ: Los Angeles Dodgers – The Rockies and Giants have asserted themselves as N.L. West contenders as well, but I expect the Dodgers to capture their third straight division crown. The Dodgers have advanced to the NLCS each of the last two seasons only to come up short. If this is to be the year they get over the hump, they’ll need both Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley to take the next step toward being legit aces. The Los Angeles Dodgers are listed at +200 to win the N.L. West.

National League Wild Card: Colorado Rockies – The Colorado Rockies enter the 2010 season with high expectations after winning a franchise-record 92 games and advancing to the National League playoffs via the wild card. This team likely won’t make it back to the World Series like the 2007 club did, but it has an excellent opportunity to be playoff bound again. The Rockies proved you can win a lot of games with quality pitching and good defense, even in flighty Coors Field. The Colorado Rockies are listed at +220 to win the N.L. West.

World Series Champion: Philadelphia Phillies - I really think there is an excellent shot that we will see a rematch of last year’s World Series showdown between the Phillies and Yankees as these are the two most complete teams in each league. Only this time, I expect the Phillies to have their revenge. Of all the moves that were made by all the teams this offseason, I like Philly’s move to bring in Roy Halladay the best. He is known as the greatest Yankee killer of them all, giving Philly the edge in a 7-game series. The Phillies are listed at +600 to win the 2010 World Series.

Make sure you’re doing your baseball betting with 2007 MLB World Handicapping Champion Jimmy Boyd this season. Sign up for his award-winning MLB picks and crush your man from Opening Day through the World Series!

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Garciaparra was a six-time All-Star, taking home 1997 American League Rookie of the Year Award honors and winning batting crowns in 1999 and 2000, while became a favorite of Red Sox fanatics.

Here’s what Garciaparra had to say: “From the first day I had the thrill of putting on a Red Sox uniform and playing in front of all the great fans at Fenway Park, I have felt at home in Boston,” Garciaparra said in a statement. “While I had the privilege of playing with other legendary teams, I always saw myself retiring in a Red Sox uniform.”

Unfortunately, Garciaparra was traded during the season when the Red Sox broke the curse of the Bambino, but he has no hard feelings.

“I felt like I was there,” Garciaparra said. “In Boston there’s something greater than an individual player winning a World Series. When I was there I realized there’s something bigger than us winning a World Series. It’s winning a World Series for these people.”

“We’ve been fortunate over the years to maintain a relationship after the trade,” Theo Epstein said. “I think both of us understood at the time that it wasn’t about Nomar and it wasn’t about me. It was just baseball trades that happen. They’re about what’s going on with the team at the time and certain things that had to happen. But, it didn’t change what Nomar meant to the Red Sox.”

So what’s next for the 36-year-old you ask? He’s taking an analyst job with ESPN.

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Pitching: Led by Linceceum, the Giants boast the best starting rotation in the division, if not the majors. Lincecum will be going for his third straight N.L. Cy Young Award. He went 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA last season and led the league in strikeouts. Matt Cain is coming off a season in which he went 14-8 with a 2.89 ERA. Barry Zito is still not worth the $126 million he signed for, but he could start in any rotation in baseball. The Giants will take another double-digit win season out of him all day long. Jonathan Sanchez sparkled late in the season, especially when he threw a no-hitter – the Giants’ first since 1976. Madison Bumgarner gives the Giants another good young arm at the bottom of the rotation.

The Giants have an All-Star closer in Brian Wilson, who saved 38 games last season while lowering his ERA and reducing his walks. Jeremy Affeldt was sensational in the eighth, leading all N.L. relievers with a 1.73 ERA.

Infield: Shortstop Edgar Renteria and second baseman Freddy Sanchez are both coming off injury-plagued seasons that required surgery. The club believes both players are poised to bounce back strong. Pablo Sandoval can play either corner spot, but right now he is getting most consideration at third base. He will be asked to carry the load offensively in 2010. Sandoval hit .330 with 25 home runs and 90 RBIs last season. Right now, Aubrey Huff is the favorite to land the job at first base. The Giants are hoping he can return to his 2008 form when he hit 32 homers and added 108 RBIs. The Giants are very excited about young catcher Buster Posey. He’s the future. Bengie Molina will still do most of the work behind home plate, though, and he is capable of doing work at the plate as well. Molina hit 20 bombs and batted in 80 runs last season.

Outfield: Right now, Mark DeRosa is the favorite to start in left, Aaron Rowand in center and Nick Schierholtz in right. DeRosa gives the Giants some flexibility as he can play second and third base as well. He is coming off a 23-home run, 78-RBI season. Rowand would run through a brick wall to catch a fly ball. That’s the kind of guy you want in center. He has got off to fast starts each of the last two seasons and has then tailed off severely following the All-Star break. The Giants are going to need his offense in the second half if they hope to make a run at the division or a wild card spot. Rowand had 15 homers and 64 RBIs last season. Schierholtz has been described as an excellent athlete and defensive player. The Giants would like to see some more power from him at the plate in 2010.

Prediction: 4th N.L. West - The Giants will go as far as their pitching will take them, just like last year, and it likely won’t be far enough to win the division. For as good as the Giants’ starting rotation was last season, the team only managed 88 wins and a third-place finish. The Giants are capable of winning the West, but the offense must exceed expectations for them to do so. The Giants are listed at +220 to win the division.

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Yahoo! Sports has reported that Nathan has a torn ligament in his right throwing elbow which could require season-ending Tommy John surgery.

Just how big of a blow would a season without Nathan be for the Twins? Well, let me put it in perspective for you. Nathan’s 246 saves over the last six seasons are the most in all of Major League Baseball during that span.

The Twins will seek a second opinion from specialist Dr. James Andrews. But if Tommy John is indeed the final answer, it is an operation that typically takes 12 to 18 months to come back from.

Here’s what Nathan had to say: “If I’m able to go out there and throw, then I’ll definitely give it a shot. The only reason that I would get a surgery done is if I’m just unable to go out there.”

If Nathan’s injury does require surgery, right-handers Jon Rauch and Matt Guerrier are probably the top two candidates to replace him.

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Pitching: Without Jake Peavy, the starting rotation takes an obvious hit. His loss puts all the more pressure on Chris Young to step up and perform like an ace. The Padres can’t afford to see him go down to injury like he has each of the past two seasons. Kevin Correia was the most durable starter in 2009. In fact, he was the only starter to make it through the entire season with a clean bill of health. He was a solid 12-11 with a 3.91 ERA. The Padres did receive some good looking young pitchers from the White Sox in the Peavy deal and they will count on those guys to perform right away. Southpaw Clayton Richard looks to be the most promising pitcher of the four obtained from the Sox. He went 5-2 with a 4.08 ERA after coming to San Diego late last season. Jon Garland figures to take a spot as well. A guy like Mat Latos, Wade LaBlanc or Tim Stauffer should round out the starting five.

The Padres have a solid closer in Heath Bell, who converted 42 of 48 save opportunities to lead the National League in saves. Just think if the Padres took a few more leads into the ninth.

Infield: While second baseman David Eckstein is 35 with his best days behind him, the two-time World Series champ provides some nice leadership for this young team. Everth Cabrera will likely get the starting nod at short. Cabrera can flat out burn on the bases. He had 25 stolen bases in just 103 games. You might as well tack on a few more this season. The Padres boast one of the best first baseman in baseball in All-Star Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez is coming off a 40-home run, 90-RBI campaign. With Kevin Kouzmanoff no longer around, the Padres will most likely lean on Chase Headley at third. Jerry Hairston Jr. figures to get a lot of time at second, short and third, and could even win a starting spot. The revolving door that has been the catcher position may finally be closed with Nick Hundley.

Outfield: The Padres have a lot of flexibility in the outfield. Right now, it looks like Scott Hairston could end up being the guy in center, but Tony Gwynn Jr. has shown that he is capable as well. He may not have his father’s bat yet, but he certainly gave the Padres a boost with his speed and defense last season. Will Venable is set to take over in right. He showed promise at the plate in 2010, hitting 12 home runs in just 95 games. Kyle Blanks is currently the favorite to take the left field spot. Hairston Jr. could fill in there as well.

Prediction: 5th N.L. West – The Padres may be able to improve on the 75 wins they had in 2009, but even if they do, it likely won’t be enough to get them out of the division basement. Gonzalez will continue to produce, but he doesn’t get nearly enough help. Expect this Padres team to struggle to score runs in 2010, which makes it extremely difficult to win even if the pitching staff does throw well. The Padres are listed at +4000 to win the division.

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Pitching: The young Clayton Kershaw is the closest thing the Dodgers have to an ace. The kid has some good stuff, as evidenced by his 2.79 ERA, but he only had an 8-8 record to show for it last season. He can quickly improve on last season if he cuts down on his walks. The 91 walks he had in 2009 were third-most in the National League.  Chad Billingsley has some potential as well. He got off to a fast start last season, going 9-3 with a 2.72 ERA out of the gate, but the way he finished left much to be desired. After the All-Star break he was just 3-7 with a 5.20 ERA. Hiroki Kuroda went 8-7 with a 3.76 ERA while missing time with a number of different ailments. Vicente Padilla pitched well for the Dodgers after coming over from Texas. He made seven starts for them in August and September, finishing with a record of 4-0 and a 3.20 ERA. He then made two really good starts and one bad one in the postseason. If he can be as good as he was late last season, it could go a long way toward getting L.A. over the hump. Guys like Eric Stults, Charlie Haeger, Josh Lindblom, James McDonald, Scott Elbert and Carlos Monasterios are in the mix for a rotation spot as well.

While the starting rotation let the Dodgers down at times late last season, the bullpen was old faithful. Jonathan Broxton was sensational in the closer role, tallying 36 saves while striking out 114 batter in just 76 innings. George Sherrill was very good in the setup role. After the All-Star break he had a 0.85 ERA with the Orioles and Dodgers.

Infield: At second base, it could be the youngster Blake DeWitt or it could be Ronnie Belliard. Belliard was the hot hand they rode in the playoffs last year. At shortstop, Rafael Furcal returns. He wasn’t quite himself last season after 2008 back surgery. Expect his errors to go down and his steals to go back up in 2010. The Dodgers are solid at the corners with third baseman Casey Black and first baseman James Loney. The duo combined for 169 RBIs last season and played very good defense. The Dodgers would like to see catcher Russell Martin return to form after a season in which he hit only seven home runs with 53 RBIs.

Outfield: With Andre Ethier in right, Matt Kemp in center and Manny Ramirez in left, the Dodgers should get a lot of production from their outfield. Ethier became just the fourth player in club history with at least 40 double and 30 home runs in the same season. Kemp came through with 26 homers and 101 RBIs. Ramirez still finished with 19 bombs and 63 RBIs despite serving a 50-game suspension.

Prediction: 1st N.L. West – Offensively, the Dodgers are the best team in the division, and they play pretty good defense as well. They clearly have what it takes to win a third straight N.L. West title. The question is if they can finally get over the hump and into the World Series. As now, I don’t think they have enough starting pitching depth to compete with the likes of the Phillies, but you never know. A lot can happen between now and then. The Dodgers are listed at +200 to win the division.

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Pitching: Jason Marquis is gone, but Jeff Francis, who missed all of 2009 following shoulder surgery, should more than make up for Marquis’ loss if he can return to form. The 26-year-old Jimenez has the stuff to be a legit ace. He went 14-9 with a 3.08 ERA over his last 29 starts, and has been know to make hitters look downright silly at times. Aaron Cook has been Mr. consistency the past two seasons, going 27-15 with a 4.05 ERA. Jorge De La Rosa is coming off a career year. He led all N.L. southpaws with 16 wins. Jason Hammel needs to focus on being sharper early in games. 58 of the 92 runs he has allowed as a starter have come in the first three innings. But it’s hard to argue with the fact that the Rockies won 17 of his last 25 starts.

The Rockies have an experienced closer in Huston Street. He wasted no time making his presence felt last season, setting a franchise record by converting 26 consecutive save opportunities.

Infield: The Rockies are very strong up the middle defensively with Clint Barnes at second and Troy Tulowitzki at short. Both players pack power at the plate as well. Barnes hit 23 homers with 76 RBIs and Tulowitzki hit 32 homers with 92 RBIs. It was nice to see Todd Helton reestablish himself at first base. His power numbers are down at this stage of his career, but it’s hard to argue when the guy consistently posts on-base percentages above .400. At third, the Rockies have a promising young player in Ian Stewart. His 25 home runs in 2008 were second on the team. Colorado is looking for a better season from catcher Chris Iannetta at the plate. He hit .295 at home, but must improve on the awful .167 he hit on the road.

Outfield: Carlos Gonzalez is a star in the making in left. He hit .320 with a .608 slugging percentage in the second half of last season. Brad Hawpe performed well in the first half in 2009, well enough to make the All-Star team. He did trail off after the All-Star break but still posted career highs in runs and doubles. Dexter Fowler is a true center fielder. His range will be a major asset in spacious Coors Field. Eric Young Jr. figures to be in the mix as well.

Prediction: 2nd N.L. West – The Rockies proved you can win a lot of games with quality pitching and good defense and the team will be looking to do both of those things again in 2010 while getting a lift from the return of Francis. If the bats are better than expected, the Rockies could certainly win the West. The Rockies are listed at +240 to win the division.

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Pitching: There is no more important thing in baseball than pitching, and the D-backs have a lot of it. Webb and Dan Haren make up one of the better one-two punches in the National League and now the Snakes add Edwin Jackson to give them a quality No. 3. When Webb is healthy, we can expect to see him win a lot of games, just as he did from 2005-2008 when he averaged 17.5 wins a season. Dan Haren became the No. 1 for Arizona with Webb out last season and Haren is expected to get the ball on Opening Day to be rewarded for his efforts. Haren is coming off an All-Star season in which he set career highs in strikeouts and innings while leading the N.L. with a 1.003 WHIP. Jackson joins the rotation after an All-Star season in Detroit in which he boasted a career-low 3.62 ERA. Ian Kennedy and Billy Buckner figure to be in the mix as well.

Chad Qualls got the opportunity to close last season and it worked out quite well. He came up with 24 saves before missing the final month of the season with a knee injury. His performance was plenty good enough for the team to send him back out in the ninth this season.

Infield: Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew give the D-backs a solid middle infield tandem. Johnson had a down year in Atlanta last season, largely due to a forearm injury, but he had 109 extra base hits in his last two healthy seasons and that’s what the D-backs are hoping for. Drew’s numbers were down in 2009 as well, but, compared with other N.L. shortstops, it’s hard to argue with his production. The D-backs are set at the hot corner with Mark Reynolds. He was the only player in baseball with at least 40 homers, 100 RBIs and 20 steals last season. Adam LaRoche and Brandon Allen are expected to be in the mix at first base. Behind the plate, the Snakes have a good one in Miguel Montero. He had 16 homers and 59 RBIs in 128 games last season.

Outfield: Justin Upton has become a fixture in right. Last season, he became just the fifth 20-20 guy in D-backs’ history when he hit 26 bombs and stole 20 bases. Chris Young should trot back out to center despite a poor season. The D-backs still believe he is a 20-20 guy. Conor Jackson and Gerardo Parra will both see time in left. Parra had a fine season, finishing in the top five among rookies in triples, RBIs and runs.

Prediction: 3rd N.L. West – Adding Jackson and Kennedy to a starting rotation that has Webb and Haren at the top figures to bolster Arizona’s chances of winning the West. It looks like it could be a very tight divisional race this season, but when it’s all said and done, I believe the Snakes will come up short for lack of defense and power hitting. The Diamondbacks are listed at +245 to win the West.

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