The likely rotation after the trade deadline passes:

• A.J. Burnett
• Wandy Rodriguez
• Gerrit Cole
• Kyle McPherson
• James MacDonald or Jeff Locke or Charlie Morton

If, as we should expect, Coonelly and Huntington will be working hard to keep their jobs after the season ends, we should also expect them to play the game to win in the short-term. So, unless Burnett and Rodriguez falter or unless a risk-adverse Front Office trades prospects for a high-quality and expensive starting pitcher, we are looking at a rotation similar to the one listed above.

The success of that rotation, along with the success of the team, will greatly depend on the performance of Cole, McPherson and MacDonald.

I do not have a problem with that rotation. But, then again, my livelihood does not depend on the performance of those players.