Why a Ketel Marte trade makes the Blue Jays worse than a Bo Bichette re-signing

Following their big-ticket acquisition of Dylan Cease, the focus of all Toronto Blue Jays fans has shifted to a reunion with superstar shortstop Bo Bichette.

Though it may be financially difficult for the franchise to harbor another nine-figure contract, Bichette is a hero in Toronto and one of the best pure hitters in baseball. Seemingly likely to shift to second base moving forward, he'd make a nice long-term pairing with Andrés Giménez in the Blue Jays' middle infield. However, if Cease's contract does preclude them from dipping into Bichette's waters, Ketel Marte could prove to be a seamless alternative at the keystone.

Ketel Marte is a consolation prize, not a replacement for Bo Bichette

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Arizona Diamondbacks are "definitely motivated" to move the All-Star, who just won a Silver Slugger Award and is one year removed from a third-place finish in NL MVP voting.

Marte, who turned 32 in October, has five years and $91 million remaining on his contract, plus an $11.5 million player option in 2031 (when he'd be 37). Paying an All-Star second baseman an average of $18 million per year over five years is a bargain in today's baseball landscape, but durability concerns and Marte's age may raise some warning signs, especially for a team like the Blue Jays.

For what it's worth, Marte is a solid defender, which Bichette is decidedly not. The Diamondback has been decidedly above average on that side of the ball in recent seasons, accruing eight Outs Above Average and 10 Defensive Runs Saved in 2024 and one OAA and one DRS in 2025. Bichette, on the other hand, has been a disaster with the glove at shortstop, racking up -13 OAA and -12 DRS there in 2025. A position switch should help his cause, but it's clear Marte is the better bet on defense moving forward.

That's about where Marte's case ends, however. Like Bichette, he's an elite hitter, producing a 152 wRC+ and 36 home runs in 2024 and following that up with a .283/.376/.517 (145 wRC+) batting line this past season.

However, he's played in just 262 games in that span while nursing various lower body injuries, and at 32 years old, his health isn't about to take a turn for the better. More troublingly, though, is that Marte will cost a boatload of prospects to acquire.

Should the Blue Jays really sell the farm (which already isn't very highly ranked) for someone whose best days may be behind him? It'd make sense to go all-in on the 2026 season after signing Cease, but Bichette is just 27 and posted a 134 wRC+ of his own in 2025. He's a win-now and win-later player.

Of course, the finances shouldn't be ignored, and if the team truly can't afford a mega-deal for Bichette, Marte would be one heck of a consolation prize. But, if the team can scrounge the cash together, keeping the incumbent fan-favorite is almost certainly the better move.