The Toronto Blue Jays wayward shortstop Bo Bichette is expected to net a free agent contract close to or even exceeding $200 million, and as much as the Jays and their fans might like to see the homegrown, two-time All-Star return to Canada’s lone major league franchise, Toronto may have a better alternative.
One possible deal that could render the Blue Jays’ chase of the 27-year-old obsolete was outlined by leading baseball statistics expert and researcher Thomas Nestico, and published on his TJ Stats site Saturday. Nestico’s proposed trade would give the Blue Jays an upgrade over Bichette both at the plate and in the field and save them money as well.
Blue Jays Add Marte in Proposed Trade
The key player in the deal, according to Nestico’s proposal, would be Arizona Diamondbacks three-time All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, whose career OPS of .823 tops Bichette’s .806. But not only would Marte be an improvement on offense, the 32-year-old Dominican Republic native is widely viewed as a potential Gold Glove candidate in the field.
Bichette, on the other hand, has been called “the worst defensive shortstop in Major League Baseball,” by Bleacher Report analyst Joel Reuter.
In addition, while the price for Bichette has been estimated as high as $216 million over eight years, an average annual value (AAV) of $27 million.
“Not only is Marte a stud with the bat, his contract structure is team friendly,” Nestico wrote. “He is under team control for 5 more years with an AAV a hair under $20 million. This combination of production at that price point makes Marte one of the most valuable trade pieces in baseball. Any team looking to acquire Marte from Arizona will need to construct an outstanding trade package.”
Toronto Must Part With Barger
According to Nestico’s proposal, the Diamondbacks would package Marte with versatile, eight-year veteran Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The “centerpiece” of the package they would receive in return would be outfielder Addison Barger, whose “2025 season was a full-fledged breakout where he translated his immense raw strength to hit 21 HR and post a 107 wRC+ in his first full MLB campaign,” Nestico noted.
The Blue Jays would also include 31-year-old righty José Berríos, which seems like no loss because, “Berríos has quickly lost his rotation spot in Toronto. A combination of new free agent signings and suboptimal performance renders Berríos at best their #5 starter,” Nestico wrote.
Including Berríos in the deal would also transfer one of the six $100 million-plus contracts on Toronto’s current books to Arizona’s ledger, helping to make room for the $92 million they would owe Marte through the 2030 season.
Pair of Top-5 Prospects Head to D-backs
Perhaps the most valuable pickups for a rebuilding, cost-cutting Arizona team, however, would be the two top prospects included in Nestico’s proposed Toronto trade package. Arjun Nimmala, a 20-year-old shortstop who was Toronto’s 2023 first-round draft pick at 20th overall — the highest draft slot ever for a first-generation Indian-American player — would appeal to Arizona, Nestico wrote, “due to his raw talent and ability to play up the middle. He may not debut for another few years, but he has the potential to be a key piece for any team in the future.”
Nimmala is currently ranked as the Blue Jays’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and No. 4 by TJ Stats.
At No. 5, per Pipeline, but No. 2 in the TJ Stats rankings, 19-year-old lefty Johnny King completes the proposed trade.
King was picked in the third round in 2024 by Toronto and “his long-term upside rivals nearly anyone in the organization,” an MLB Pipeline scouting report says.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
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