While the Oakland Athletics didn’t have any legitimate stars last year, they managed to strike some magic, win the AL West and come within one win of the ALCS. However, this year the A’s won’t need a supply of magic to bring out the big-boy bats and pound opposing pitchers.

Felix Hernandez was just the latest ace pitcher to get paid, and here are the next maestros in line to bring in a fortune.

Here, we break down the bright future for the likes of Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum and Adam Wainwright.

While we may have to wait a while to know with certainty how much these guys will be paid, recent contract extensions and signings have given us confidence in these predictions.

Some of the top tools and pitches in the minor leagues will be on display this spring, as many of the game’s top prospects have been invited to participate in big league spring training. Whether it’s Billy Hamilton’s speed, Wil Myers’ power or Gerrit Cole’s fastball, the future of baseball will undoubtedly be on display over the next month.

Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez arrived at spring training defiant, saying he never received performance-enhancing drugs from Tony Bosch's drug clinic, Biogenesis.

2012 Record: 81-81

While the Detroit Tigers' pitching staff was successful in 2012, the bullpen was average at best. Their ERA of 3.79 was only the 10th best in the American League out of 14 teams. The starters helped carry the Tigers' pitching staff, as the back end of the bullpen had the worst ERA of any AL team from the eighth inning on, with 4.07. 

I believe that the pitching staff will have an overall better year in 2013. 

Baseball games aren't played on paper or inside those newer, fancier computer projection systems that are in vogue today. However, with another month and a half to go until opening day, projections are all fans have to go on right now.

The Boston Red Sox haven’t played an exhibition game yet, but they should already be worried about the future of Felix Doubront.

On Jan. 12, pitcher Carl Pavano—currently a free agent—slipped while shoveling snow and suffered a ruptured spleen. According to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the seemingly minor tumble almost proved fatal.

Clayton Blackburn, Kyle Crick and Chris Stratton—the San Francisco Giants' top three prospects according to Marc Hulet of FanGraphs—won't be in big league camp this spring. None of those three pitching prospects have pitched above A-ball yet, so Giants fans will have to remain patient on that front.