Blue Jays haven't ducked Ketel Marte nightmare just yet after Red Sox trade

It was a busy weekend for teams in the American League East division. Everyone around the Toronto Blue Jays, except the New York Yankees, spent the past few days wheeling and dealing and finding ways to potentially improve their teams.

Tampa Bay and Baltimore made an inter-division trade that sees Shane Baz become the newest member of the Orioles rotation, in exchange for four Top-30 prospects. The Rays also traded a trio of players to the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Brandon Lowe leading that package, and once again the Rays recouped some prospects. Boston added Willson Contreras in their second offseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.

While that deal likely means the Red Sox are no longer in the Ketel Marte sweepstakes, it doesn't mean the All-Star second baseman won't end up in the AL East.

Blue Jays haven't ducked Ketel Marte nightmare just yet after Red Sox trade

MLB columnist Bob Nightengale wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the Red Sox will pay $33.5 million of the $41.5 million that Contreras is due to earn over the length of his contract that runs through 2027 (with a team option for 2028). The Red Sox got $8 million from the Cardinals in that deal, covering off that discrepancy which Nightengale says will take Boston out of the running for the Arizona Diamondbacks incumbent second baseman.

The rumor mill had been swirling with signs pointing to the Red Sox (as well as the Blue Jays) being interested in the services of Marte, but he's got a huge contract attached to him, with $102 million remaining through 2030 (with a player option for 2031). With the Red Sox bringing Contreras into the fold, Nightengale is suggesting they wouldn't be willing to also bring on Marte's contract at this time.

However, a team that isn't known for their large spending sprees, does have an immediate vacancy at the keystone. The Rays, who have acquired six Top-30 prospects over the last 48 hours, could be in the mix now. MLB Insider Jon Morosi says "This is not the culmination of the offseason, this is a portal to what might be coming down the line."

With the influx of talent into their farm system, the Rays could potentially sway the Diamondbacks into a blockbuster deal that sends Marte to Tampa Bay. Marte would be the latest star addition to the division that seems to be loading up on big name players this offseason. The Blue Jays brought in arguably the best pitcher on the market in Dylan Cease. The Orioles scooped up slugging first baseman Pete Alonso. Now, it could be the Rays turn to get a guy who has been worth 35.6 career bWAR and has slashed .283/.368/.519 with 89 home runs over the last three seasons.

Marte would shoot the Rays back into relevancy and maybe even beyond as the Rays have very rarely exceeded the $100 million threshold owed to a player, and they've also rarely made a move to acquire a guy with this much money remaining on their deal. As the Blue Jays start to open their pocket books and compete with the top of the market, it looks like the Rays are contemplating doing something similar and looking to dish out some dollars ahead of 2026.