Tonight’s starting pitcher, Michael Pineda, did not pitch well against the Minnesota Twins. However, the New York Yankees could very well win this series still, and you will forget all about Pineda struggling to get the Twins out on a Friday night in July.

When talking about the Yankees, I have been careful to point out that the team, led by pitchers Masahiro Tanaka, Pineda and Ivan Nova, have the potential of forming a great playoff rotation. Potential being the key word. Fact of the matter is Tanaka and Pineda have never pitched in October. Nova is only 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA. These are three great, young pitchers with exciting potential, and more often than not pitch very well. They are human and they will struggle still, though. With a 5.5-game lead entering Friday night and a 5-1 record since the All-Star break, the Yankees can afford the lone bad game. Of course they want to win every game, but we’re being realistic.

No matter what side of the fence you’re on considering the trade deadline and whether the Yankees should be aggressive or conservative, nothing should sway your decision based on a lone game. For instance, entering tonight, the big picture of Pineda is 9-6, 3.77, 113 strikeouts and 15 walks. Quite Impressive. While he’s had four starts this year where he’s given up at least five earned runs, he’s limited opponents to less than five earned runs every start after.

Basically, Pineda will be OK. The Yankees’ offense is deep enough to pick him up more often than not, just as he can pick up the offense on certain days with his electric stuff. While the Yankees can always use another starter, at what price are you willing to pay for the potential half-season rental? You can make the case that the Yankees are the favorite out of the AL East and a potential half-season rental would not be enough one way or the other.

The idea of giving up a good prospect only to lose early might not sit well either.

William Chase is a New York Yankees writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @William_Chase88 or add him to your network on LinkedIn and Google.