It was expected that Bo Bichette, after his World Series heroics, would be the first to land a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays. Especially after how the Jays secured a long-term service contract from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bichette’s return was inevitable. However, with Bichette turning down the qualifying offer, both sides have made it evident that a breakup is likely. Bichette’s not backing off his expected price tag, and the Blue Jays have already started hunting for a replacement. But according to insider Craig Borden, the cost-effective replacement they have found could be a risky move.
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“Blue Jays have been massively linked to Ketel Marte,”
Borden said via Jays Latest podcast. “Yes, he’s a great player, but something feels off to me. He’s a great ball player, but maybe it was just since the World Series for the Diamondbacks, something’s off to me. I am worried that he might already be in decline, or something is going on in between the ears.”
Notably, this comes days after MLB Network insider Jon Morosi had reported that the Blue Jays had checked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for Marte’s availability.
Bichette hit .311 in 2025 and an incredible .348 in the postseason before hitting free agency, so losing him would be huge. But Marte brings his own impressive resume. He just won his second straight Silver Slugger and posted a .283/.376/.517 line over 126 games with Arizona.
Over his 11-year professional career, Marte has been a .281 hitter with 587 RBIs and 171 homers, which includes seven double-digit home run totals, and two with 30 or more. The three-time All-Star also recorded two seasons of 90+ RBIs.
Moreover, FanGraphs even had him as the top-WAR second baseman in baseball. And with a contract projection around $116.5 million, he’d be a much cheaper option than the roughly $200 million Bichette is expected to command.
However, as Borden pointed out, Marte isn’t without question marks. He’s had injury issues. Remember, those hamstring problems in 2021 limited him to 90 games, and since then, he’s generally topped out in the 135–150 game range. 2022 came with the same issues where he hit just .240 with a .727 OPS and 12 home runs. In fact, the player has appeared in over 140 games just three times in his career, and will probably miss more.
What’s more, Marte’s sprint speed has also reportedly declined over the past few seasons as a result. He was hitting 27.7 feet per second in 2023, which came down to 27.1 in 2024.
Adding to that, his average has hovered around .270 since 2022. And while he hit 28 homers this season, that’s a drop from the 36 he put up in 2024.
Still, Marte’s power and overall production could be enough for Toronto to see him as a realistic and more affordable replacement if Bichette walks.
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And with suitors like the Mets and Red Sox in the mix for Bichette, the odds are high that he will walk away.
The Blue Jays are seeing a few more replacements for Bichette
Well, the Blue Jays aren’t just looking at one replacement if things don’t work out with Bo Bichette. Rather, they’re actually stacking potential replacements. After Marte, it’s Cody Bellinger in the race.
Notably, Bellinger looked really sharp in 2025, hitting 29 HRs, striking out a remarkably low 13.7% of the time, and finishing with a wRC+ of 125. That means he was 25% better than league average in terms of producing runs. But what makes him even more appealing is his versatility. Bellinger isn’t limited to just one position…
And from a financial standpoint, the potential five-year, $140 million deal that he’s projected to command still sits in the ballpark of what Bichette might get. So, if Bichette walks, the Blue Jays won’t be left scrambling.
That said, Bichette remains their primary target. But they’ve built a real contingency plan with Marte, Bellinger, and even Kyle Tucker waiting in the wings. Let’s see who ends up with the Jays.
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