The Toronto Blue Jays lost Marcus Stroman to a season ending injury this week and the team may now consider a trade for Cole Hamels or Jordan Zimmermann at some point to help replace him, as the team is in win-now mode and they were expecting the young pitcher to have a significant role in the 2015 season.
According to ESPN.com, the Blue Jays confirmed that Stroman suffered a torn ACL and will undergo surgery, meaning he will miss the 2015 season. Stroman had a solid rookie season with an 11-6 record and a 3.65 ERA and at just 23-years-old the Blue Jays expected him to be a part of the rotation to start the season. The injury came during a bunting practice drill and came after he was called off by another player and it was later confirmed with MRI tests.
Dave Schoenfield at the Sweetspot blog on ESPN writes that the Blue Jays should look at trading for Cole Hamels after the Stroman injury, as he was expected to be one of the five starters in the rotation. Schoenfield writes that Stroman could have come in to take over for R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle as the anchor of the rotation with those players getting older, but now that isn't in the cards. Drew Hutchison is in the rotation and now the team will likely push Daniel Norris and other prospects to try and win it.
But the team also may look at trade options, as Schoenfield notes, the team is in "win-now" mode with players like Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Jose Reyes in their 30s and Josh Donaldson is 29. The team added Josh Donaldson in a trade and they are trying to get back into the playoffs for the first time in over a decade and that could spark the team to make a move. Hamels is going to be one of the main targets at the trade deadline, as the Phillies are rebuilding and he was connected in rumors this offseason.
Hamels has four years and $96 million left on his contract and Schoenfield writes that the team has a projected payroll of $10 million less than last season. That could mean the team has "room in the budget" to make a move and if no one emerges in Spring training or early in the season as a consistent option, they could make a deal.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Stroman had a tough start to the season in the bullpen, but he leveled out in the rotation, making 20 starts and going 10-6 with a 3.29 ERA. Stroman had a strong strikeout to walk ratio with 103 K's and just 27 walks and he was also impressive in games against divisional teams in the AL East, going a combined 5-1 with a 1.83 ERA in games against the Red Sox and the Yankees.
