I really like the trade the Tigers pulled off on my birthday. It was a great 21st birthday gift that’s for sure. In fact, I love the trade. They got a second baseman, Omar Infante, who can hit (hopefully no more Ryan Raburn, sorry but not sorry Ryan). Anyways, let’s not for get about Anibal Sanchez. He has real potential to be a front end of a rotation guy and has not pitched that bad this season. I’m excited to see his first start.

However, the key factor in the rest of the season for the Tigers will not be the trade made. (Even though it helps a lot). The rotation will be the most important aspect of the team for the remainder of the year. Verlander and the rest of the crew will have to keep pitching the way they have been for the Tigers to keep winning. And according to Mlive.com and general manager Dave Dombrowski, the rotation is all set.

“We’re set,” Dombrowski said on a teleconference call. “We have five guys in our rotation that we feel comfortable going forward with.”

Even though they gave up Jacob Turner, they got a quality pitcher in return.

Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter at 22, was 5-7 with a 3.94 ERA for the Marlins this year. Once considered a highly touted young prospect, Sanchez has 14 quality starts in 19 outings this season.

“He’s been one of the more consistent pitchers in baseball,” Dombrowski said. “He feels great, he has quality stuff and he gives us a chance to have five established Major League starters.”

I really believe that this could be one of the top rotations in the A.L. and they can have a really good top three come playoff time. Verlander, Fister and Sanchez would be it and that right there is pretty decent. But not to jump the gun, they still have to make the postseason and I think they will. The only question marks have been Fister with injuries and Porcello with being in consistent. But now that he’s the fifth starter, he is a good fifth starter to have.

So when you think about the Tiger’s winning the rest of the year, the rotation should be the first ones to thank.