I really don’t think Ketel Marte himself is a priority, but it is clear that the Toronto Blue Jays are looking for a big bat for the lineup, which is why the top free agents at the position, Brandon Lowe and Jazz Chisholm Jr., also fit.

After a great year in 2025, with an offense that produced 798 runs and 191 home runs, several injuries and inconsistencies turned the Jays’ offense into one of the worst in the entire league.

Toronto finished in last place in the Major Leagues in runs (648), home runs (152) and isolated power (.134), and ranked 28th in OPS (.691).

So, without a doubt, although it seems to me that Lowe would be the best option for Toronto, Marte’s presence also represents a great opportunity to improve the lineup, even though his 2026 season was his least productive since 2021, in addition to being involved in several off-field situations that generated concern within the organization.

Marte saw his average WAR drop from 5.1 over the last three seasons to just 2.5, while his wRC+ also had a concerning regression, dropping from 152 and 146 in his two previous campaigns to just 103 in 2026.

To that we can add that Marte’s .316 on-base percentage and .257 BABIP were the worst marks of his career in qualified seasons.

As you can see, in general, Marte’s great power impact, combined with his plate discipline, fell short of the marks he posted in 2024 and 2025, when he hit 36 and 28 home runs, respectively, and recorded OPS marks of .932 and .893. Even so, Marte continues to dominate the recent history in terms of the impact of second basemen in MLB, leading the list with 13.5 fWAR since 2024. He also leads in slugging with .500, RBIs with 243 and wRC+ with 133 —holding a considerable lead over Lowe, second in the ranking with 119—, and ranks second in home runs (86), runs scored (258) and on-base percentage (.353).

At 33 years old, Marte still has the ability to recover his top-level production, which led him to receive MVP votes in 2019, 2024 and 2025. He can provide power from both sides of the plate to occupy a spot in the middle of the lineup and still has a projection that places him with the ability to produce 25-30 home runs, with a recovery in his BABIP and his walk rate, which finished 2026 with the lowest percentage of his career (8.2%) in qualified seasons.

Why Arizona Could Trade Him and What It Needs to Receive

According to sources who spoke with Mitch Bannon of The Athletic and had knowledge of the conversations —although they were not authorized to speak publicly—, Toronto knocked on the door of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the past offseason, but the Jays quickly resisted the request. The Arizona Diamondbacks, according to the source at the time, wanted controllable starting pitchers in exchange for their All-Star second baseman.

Now, practically a year later, Arizona still has competitive and financial reasons to consider moving Marte, as the team finished 2026 with an 86-76 record and once again missed the postseason.

Arizona hit just .218 from the left side against right-handed pitchers in 2026, the worst mark in MLB in that situation, but also saw its OPS drop, after occupying third and second place in the previous two campaigns, to eighth in 2026. In addition, it finished 14th in the league with 166 home runs. The pitching staff also had regressions, as the strikeout rate per nine innings fell to 7.04, also finishing 14th, and they ranked 10th in ERA with 4.18.

That inefficiency in getting strikeout pitchers who maintain a good ERA has been a problem that has followed the Diamondbacks over the last decade, and the last time they managed to place themselves in the league’s Top 5 in ERA and K/9 goes back to the 2017 season, when they put together a rotation led by the consistency of Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20), Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89) and Taijuan Walker (9-9, 3.49), without failing to mention middle reliever Archie Bradley (1.73 in 63 relief appearances), which finished with a collective ERA of 3.66, the best in franchise history.

So the reflections of manager Torey Lovullo and general manager Mike Hazen about the idea of adding more left-handed power to the lineup —especially at first base and as a designated hitter— and improving the pitching staff are part of Arizona’s clearest priorities this offseason.

That is also the point of connection they could find if they get into any discussions with the Jays about a trade involving Marte.

Hazen has acknowledged that some decisions about the roster’s composition did not work and that he needs to find a better combination to return to the playoffs. Payroll reduction is also part of the team’s strategy.

Owner Ken Kendrick anticipated that the 2027 budget would decrease after Arizona recorded the highest payroll in its history in 2026. Marte represents an important part of future commitments, so his departure could help reorganize the finances and recover young talent.

That said, Arizona could be interested in a hitter like Addison Barger because he is a left-handed hitter who can provide power, and the possibility that he could play in the outfield again or at one of the infield corners, probably moving to first base, cannot be ruled out.

I don’t think Barger is the only player Toronto would have to give up to get Marte, but he would occupy a good part of a possible package to avoid having to give up their top prospects.

Now, hypothetically assuming they reach an agreement, Toronto would have to take on $76 million in salaries established between 2027 and 2030 and, if Marte exercises his option for 2031, the commitment would increase to $87.5 million.