The Miami Marlins' promising MLB season may have suffered a critical setback this week with the announcement that ace pitcher Jose Fernandez's season may have ended due to an elbow injury.

Fernandez, who currently leads the majors with 70 strikeouts as of Tuesday, is currently on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right elbow, but according to an ESPN report published Tuesday, the Marlins believe that the Cuban-born right-handed fireball hurler may need elbow surgery, which would prematurely end his promising 2014 season.

This comes as a tremendous blow to the Marlins, who face the prospect of losing their 21-year-old All-Star blue chipper as they vie for first place in a wide-open NL East in a three-way battle with Miami, the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals. With Hernandez, who has been the ace of the staff, potentially out for the season, the pressure falls on young Marlins starters Tom Koehler, Nate Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez to carry the load for Miami. And considering that none of those pitchers have ever had a winning season in the majors, that's a huge cause for concern if you're rooting for Miami to make some noise in the fall.

However, all may not be lost. The Marlins have the capability of making a trade for a pitcher that could replace Fernandez.

Yes, most baseball fans are snickering at the idea of Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria -- a man who bankrolls the second-lowest payroll in baseball, has traded away the Marlins' top talent and is reviled by Miami fans as a penny-pincher more interested in dollars and cents rather than wins and losses -- pulling off a trade for a quality pitching star that could balloon the Marlins' payroll past its affordable $47 million price tag. However, the Marlins do have a 2003 World Series ring that they've earned under Loria's ownership tenure, and if the team would stand to make a big run towards the playoffs -- which would be a lot of extra cha-ching in Loria's pockets -- then the possibility exists that the cost-minded Marlins may indeed be inclined to open up their pockets to reel in a big fish on the trade market.

But who could they get? Let's take a look at a few of the most promising aces that could sport a Miami uniform by the midseason trade deadline.

Jon Lester

A crafty lefthander with an arsenal of pitches that includes a tough-to-hit 94 mph fastball, Lester has had plenty of postseason experience with the defending world champion Boston Red Sox, having won two rings in Beantown. He won't come cheap, though, so chances are that Lester could make for a rentable player in Miami, especially if it becomes clear to Boston that he's not interested in re-signing with them after his contract expires this season.

Justin Masterson

The Cleveland Indians left-hander frustrates hitters to no end, able to get hitters to slap at what turn out to be ground balls, and he struck out a blistering 195 batters last season. He's much better than the 14-10 record he posted in 2013 with minimal support from Cleveland. Trading for this southpaw might be the sort of crafty move Miami needs to shore up their anemic-looking starting rotation.

Ervin Santana

A true ace, Santana is on the books with Atlanta at the moment, but he's still only under contract for a year. Perhaps, at 31 years old, the Braves didn't feel like making a long-term investment in Santana was a worthwhile pursuit. But with a tricky two-seam fastball and a wicked slider, Santana has shot up to a 4-0 record with an impressive 1.99 ERA in six starts this season for Atlanta. He's got plenty of juice, although it will take some miracle work to get the Braves, the Marlins' division rival, to cough up Santana in a trade.

Francisco Liriano

Due to be a free agent after the season, this Dominican Republic-born lefty had a stellar year for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, throwing for a 16-8 record with a 3.02 ERA and 163 strikeouts. He's started off slow this season with an 0-3 record in eight starts, but with a change of scenery from Pittsburgh to the sunny skies of Miami, maybe Liriano might get the shot in the arm he needs to climb back into ace form.

Jake Peavy

Despite a 12-5 record last year, the 2007 NL Cy Young winner hasn't started off this season well with his 1-1 record so far with Boston in seven starts. Yet, Peavy has shown in the past what he can do when he's firing on all cylinders. Plus, he's coming off the books for the Red Sox after this year, which means that the Marlins may have a chance to snag a pitcher that would certainly be an upgrade to their current rotation.

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