AL West

This is the Josh Hamilton the Los Angeles Angels thought they were getting. Alas, after paying the five-time All-Star $125 million over five years in December 2012, the 32-year-old's start to 2013 was as cold as his 2014 beginning has been hot.

It's not often that you get a guy who's a massive free-agent bust and a massive trade bust. Guys tend to belong to one club or the other, not both.

Which brings us to Prince Fielder. Early in 2014, he's put himself on a path to become one of the rare exceptions.

There has only been one week of baseball—games that count anyway—but so far, so good for many of the Oakland Athletics' top-10 minor league prospects.

Sometimes, when you just can't buy any hits and you really feel the need to find yourself, the best thing to do is pay a visit to the Houston Astros.

It worked for the Los Angeles Angels, anyway.

The Oakland Athletics announced on Monday that they signed former Angels pitcher Joe Blanton to a minor league deal, assigning him to Triple-A Sacramento. For Blanton, who was originally drafted by the Athletics, the signing results in a homecoming as well as an opportunity to bounce back from a forgettable year with the Angels.

For young, emerging superstars, contracts and earning power often become a combination of risk, reward and timing. For Mike Trout, the stars aligned in the form of a $144.5 million contract extension from the Los Angeles Angels, setting the once-in-a-generation all-around baseball genius up for now and later.

Yu Darvish has been great since joining the Texas Rangers, but a neck injury has forced the team to bench its ace, according to MLB.com. Darvish has a sore neck and is heading back to Dallas for more tests. It is very likely he will start the season on the disabled list.

The 2014 MLB season is finally here, which means fans should be on the lookout for some upcoming milestones. 

Albert Pujols is closing in on his 500th career home run. Watch the video to take a look back at Pujols' accomplishments during his career and to look forward to the moment when he can join one of the most exclusive clubs in sports.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus is working his way back from forearm tightness this spring and will soon make his return to the diamond, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson on Twitter:

For Oakland A's fans, the term "March Madness" reflects their team's crazy spring training. One major player is out for the season and another isn't hitting. But there is good news: A few guys you might not have expected to hit so well have been pleasant surprises.

Spring training is meant to answer a team's questions.