Depressing news from Toronto Blue Jays camp: Second-year right-hander Marcus Stroman tore his ACL during fielding practice and will miss the season.

Beyond devastated. Not being able to compete with my brothers each and every day is extremely disappointing. Still can't believe it. — Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) March 10, 2015

Stroman wasn't the most experienced pitcher in the Toronto rotation but he was the guy I expected to take over for R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle as the staff ace. After posting a 3.65 ERA as a rookie -- 3.38 in the second half -- Stroman's six-pitch arsenal and ability to keep the ball in the park made him a strong breakout candidate for 2015.

Behind Dickey, Buehrle and Drew Hutchison, the final two slots of the Toronto rotation are now up for grabs. Rookies Daniel Norris and Aaron Sanchez are high-upside arms, but Norris has just 13 starts above Class A and Sanchez's control issues in the minors and strong performance late last season in the majors as a reliever may suggest he's best suited for the bullpen. Marco Estrada, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Adam Lind trade, is here, but he's coming off a season in which he was pounded for 29 home runs in just 150 innings. Johan Santana, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2012, is trying another comeback but won't be ready in April and is a long shot regardless.

Cole Hamels, 31, would be a perfect fit in the Blue Jays rotation. Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports

So rather than force-feeding Norris and/or Sanchez into the rotation or having to rely on Estrada, the Blue Jays have to go after Cole Hamels. This is exactly the scenario Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. needed to create a better deal for Hamels: A spring training injury to a top-of-the-rotation starter on a playoff contender. Considering Cliff Lee may now have to face surgery, the rebuilding Phillies should feel extra pressure to trade Hamels now to avoid the risk that he, too, gets injured and loses all his trade value.

The Blue Jays also need to factor in that the AL East hasn't been this wide open in years. They are also in a win-now mode considering the ages of Dickey (entering his age-40 season) and Buehrle (36) -- Buehrle is also a free agent after the season -- as well as the offensive core of Jose Bautista (34), Edwin Encarnacion (32), Jose Reyes (32) and in-his-prime Josh Donaldson (29). None of those players will get better in the future.

Amaro has reportedly been asking for multiple top prospects plus the team trading for Hamels to pick up his remaining contract, which guarantees him $96 million over the next five seasons. Amaro may still have to relent a bit on one of those items -- probably some salary relief as the Phillies need talent more than money. According to Baseball-Reference.com, the Blue Jays' current projected payroll is $127 million, less than last year's $137 million, so there should be room in the budget. They're not stuck with any prohibitive long-term contracts, as the only veterans signed beyond 2016 are Reyes and Russell Martin. Dickey, Bautista and Encarnacion all have team options for 2016.

Keith Law rated the Toronto farm system 19th but it has some players who would interest the Phillies, starting with Sanchez or Norris. Pitcher Jeff Hoffman was the ninth overall pick in last year's draft even though he underwent Tommy John surgery in May. He's a high-upside risk that the Phillies could take a chance on (although technically he couldn't be traded until a year after he signed). Catcher Max Pentecost was the 11th overall pick last year and the Phillies need a young catcher.

The Jays haven't made the playoffs since 1993, the longest drought in the majors. Even if you give up three good prospects for Hamels, you're getting him for at least four years (there's an option for a fifth). It's not like they would be mortgaging talent for just one season of Hamels.

While Hamels has made it clear he'd welcome a trade to a contender, he does have a no-trade list to 20 teams. It's unclear if Toronto is on that list -- a lot of players don't want to play in Canada for tax purposes -- but the Red Sox were on his list and Hamels said earlier this spring that he would approve a trade to Boston.

Stroman's injury doesn't have to mean the end of the season for the Jays. Go get Hamels before your AL East rivals swoop in.