NL East

Picking players in the first round is always a hot topic. And while your first round selections WILL NOT make your team, it is those players who are on the cusp of being first rounders that could significantly impact your team’s performance.

J.A. Happ is one of those players.

Last year Happ enjoyed a very promising season going 12-4 for "Dem Phightin Phils" while posting a 2.93 ERA.

Well, finally the New York Mets get some good news.

Good news is a rarity for the Mets, so when it happens and it’s good news about one of their star players, it must be recognized.

The Mets found out yesterday that shortstop Jose Reyes has been cleared to play. His thyroid levels are back to normal.

Reyes has been back home in New York resting and avoiding exercise (sounds like me) until his thyroid levels were back to normal. It’s still uncertain whether or not Reyes will be ready for Opening Day.

Atlanta Braves (Last Season: 86-76)

Will Bobby Cox’s last season as the Atlanta Braves manager be one worth remembering?

He’s been the one fixture in the Braves’ organization since their run in the 1990s. If the Braves don’t get to the playoffs this year, I would say that Cox’s final year with the team might be considered a failure no matter how close they get.

One thing they must have to make a decent run for the postseason is a decent rotation.

Bobby Cox may want to rethink his retirement.

Never shy about elevating top prospects, throughout the years Cox has overseen the arrival of a number of impact players at Turner Field.

Just to make things clear, I am not talking about the mediocre lefty for the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox who all of a sudden became unhittable in the postseason for the New York Yankees.

I am talking about the big outfield prospect for the Florida Marlins.

If you are not familiar with the Marlins’ version of Mike Stanton, then you will be very shortly. He is a big man who can hit a baseball very far.

If in spring training last season, you had told me the Philadelphia Phillies would be without closer Brad Lidge for the first week or two of the regular season, I would seriously be worried.

Now if you told me Lidge might miss one or two weeks at the start of season, I would say so what, no big deal. Funny what a difference a year makes.

In an interview with MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, the Phillies’ closer doesn’t think he will be ready by Opening Day.

Jerry Manuel all but punched Fernando Martinez’s ticket to the minors when he met with reporters in Florida yesterday, a decision that will surely cause a stir among the Mets' frustrated and disenchanted fan base.

However, despite the many blunders this organization has experienced over the course of Minaya’s tenure at the helm, this is one move that makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons.

He’s Not Quite Ready

The case for Martinez being on the Opening Day roster is a very legitimate one.

I will put this next post into the “I didn’t see this one coming” category.

In a very surprising move, the Washington Nationals have released outfielder Elijah Dukes. Dukes was supposed to be the Nationals’ starting right fielder in 2010.

What was the reason for the release?

Nationals’ manager Jim Riggleman called the release purely a “baseball related” decision. There are a lot of things I am buying in this world and this isn’t one of them.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that I thought the Washington Nationals would send phenom Stephen Strasburg down to the minors to start the season. Now, it’s looking more and more likely that thought is going to come true.

Nate McLouth is currently penciled in as the Atlanta Braves' leadoff hitter for the 2010 season.

But following a poor 2009 season, during which he was traded from the Pirates to the Braves and battled vision problems, McLouth is starting extremely slow this spring.

All of this has many questioning whether or not he should bat first.

The main reason that McLouth is so firmly entrenched in the leadoff role is that the Braves lack a true leadoff hitter.