Blue Jays annual "check in" rumor has the team targeting a Silver Slugging infielder

One of the Toronto Blue Jays main priorities this offseason is resigning Bo Bichette. The home grown star shortstop has hit free agency for the first time in his career and he's regarded as one of the top free agents currently on the market. That means the Blue Jays aren't the only team after his services, and it also means the Blue Jays might need to look at alternative options.

While the Blue Jays could roll into the season with a group that consists of Ernie Clement at second base, Andrés Giménez at shortstop and Addison Barger at third, the Blue Jays want to raise the floor of what they accomplished last year and that means they are "checking in" on all possibilities. One of those possibilities is infielder Ketel Marte.

Blue Jays annual "check-in" rumor has the team targeting a Silver Slugging infielder

Marte, who has mostly been a secondbaseman over the last few years, has been one of the premier players in the National League going all the way back to 2018. While he's only made three All-Star appearances since then, he's also been worth more than 2.0 bWAR five times since he joined Arizona in 2017.

He also seems to be getting better with age, winning back to back Silver Slugger awards, while hitting a combined 64 home runs with a .288/.374/.539 slash line in his age 30 and 31 seasons. His walk rate has also increased over the last three years, from 9.9 in 2022 to 10.9, 11.1 and 11.5 over the next three seasons. Marte is under contract through 2030, with a player option in 2031 and according to Spotrac, he'll make $16 million next season, $12 million the following year before his salary jumps to $20 million in 2028.

Marte has produced at the same kind of level offensively that Bichette has, but with a lot more pop. He's also on a contract that would likely be less expensive over the next six seasons than it would be if they signed Bichette - but Bichette is also five years younger than Marte.

If Marte can maintain some of that production into his mid-30's he would be a great addition to the Blue Jays and according to MLB reporter Jon Morosi, they have checked in on the Diamondbacks switch-hitter. But the Blue Jays doing their due diligence and asking around about certain players is nothing new.

Over the past several seasons, the Blue Jays have consistently checked on, or have "had talks" with other MLB organizations about impact players. It doesn't mean they won't make a deal for Marte, it just means that this is part of the Blue Jays front office's yearly business of gathering as much information as possible.

Morosi also said that the Phillies have also checked in on Marte, something that isn't shocking considering their division rivals, the New York Mets, just made a blockbuster deal for a second baseman, picking up Marcus Semien from the Rangers.