From Inside Bay Area comes this:

Manager Ken Macha offered his most revealing comment yet on the starting rotation, suggesting the final two spots are for rookies Joe Blanton and Dan Meyer to lose.

Macha told reporters the Oakland Athletics have a "Plan A" and then listed the five starters in this order: Barry Zito, Rich Harden, Dan Haren, Blanton and Meyer.

I'm very surprised that he's come out and said this, especially since it had been apparent until now that Meyer would get some more time in AAA before joining the rotation.

What's interesting is that it isn't like the other options have pitched themselves out of contention: Seth Etherton in particular is pitching quite well and it's unlikely that Keiichi Yabu or Kirk Saarloos would embarass themselves in the fifth spot. I wonder if Macha is on the same page with the front office on this.