The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the most aggressive teams in the free agent market this offseason.
Already, they've signed starters Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers for bullpen depth. If they lose shortstop Bo Bichette, the Blue Jays will have a gaping hole in the middle of their infield.
Garrett Kerman of Clutch Points said the Blue Jays "must" trade for Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte if they want to return to the World Series.
"For the Blue Jays, acquiring Marte transforms a good team into a legitimate World Series threat," Kerman wrote Friday. "It's the kind of statement move that separates contenders from pretenders, and it's exactly what Toronto needs to do after the Winter Meetings concluded without addressing the elephant in the room."
The Blue Jays' elephant in the room
Andres Gimenez is an outstanding defensive second baseman, but was Toronto's worst hitter in the starting lineup in 2025, with a.598 OPS.
The Blue Jays have the prospect capital to trade for Marte, even if that means turning Gimenez into a bench player. Kerman's trade idea sends left-handed pitcher Ricky Tiedemann (No. 4) and right-hander Jake Bloss (No. 8) to Arizona.
"The beauty of this deal is that it doesn't gut Toronto's established big-league roster or completely strip the organization of its best young arms," Kerman added. "The Blue Jays would retain prospects like Arjun Nimmala and Trey Yesavage, who represent the true cornerstones of their future. They'd be trading prospects with injury history and developmental uncertainty for a certified, high-impact major league player in his prime."
Adding Marte to a Blue Jays lineup with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. And possibly Kyle Tucker would be a scary sight for pitchers.
More Blue Jays News:
- Blue Jays reveal Dylan Cease's jersey number never worn before in team history
- Bo Bichette predicted to betray Blue Jays, sign with AL East rival in MLB free agency
- Kyle Tucker's Blue Jays visit sparks 'dream' potential lineup for Toronto
- Kyle Tucker spotted at Blue Jays facility, per MLB insider
- Dylan Cease contract details for $210 million Blue Jays deal revealed