The Toronto Blue Jays have checked in with the Arizona Diamondbacks regarding the availability of infielder Ketel Marte, according to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon.
Bannon wrote in a story posted Wednesday that the Jays previously inquired about him last off-season but balked at Arizona’s high asking price.
After this season, both Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins and team president Mark Shapiro acknowledged the need for more offence in 2027 and indicated they would be open to adding it via free agency or trade this winter.
Marte has been a consistent producer at the plate for much of his 10 seasons with the Diamondbacks and slashed .249/.316/.432 with 22 homers and 76 RBI last season. He is also a three-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger and the winner of the 2023 NLCS MVP Award for helping the Diamondbacks reach the World Series.
However, Marte is coming off a tumultuous season where he did not show up to a game in Boston in August and spent time away from the team afterward while on the restricted list, as well as the injured list. He was booed by some fans at Chase Field upon his return later that month.
Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported last month the Diamondbacks were expected to listen to offers on Marte for the second consecutive off-season. According to Bannon, Marte’s 2026 season could bring the price down on the 33-year-old compared to last winter when Toronto checked in.
Complicating things are Marte’s 10-and-5 rights, which give him the ability to nix any trade since he is a veteran of at least 10 big-league seasons with at least five played for one team. He is also owed nearly $90 million over the next five seasons, concluding with a player option in 2031.
As Bannon points out, Marte is married to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s cousin and has also played with Guerrero for Team Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic.
At his season-ending media availability in late September, Atkins praised Ernie Clement but did not fully commit to him as the team’s starting second baseman for next season. Clement was an All-Star for the first time but struggled mightily down the stretch of 2026, posting a .493 OPS with just one home run over the final 65 games of the season.
Blue Jays interested in Loaisiga
Marte doesn’t appear to be the only Diamondback the Blue Jays have their eyes on.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Jays are one of several teams to have interested in right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga, who is coming off the strong 2026 season for the D-Backs.
He had a 2.42 ERA a 1.03 WHIP in 67.0 innings pitched spread out over 67 appearances last season.
While Loaisiga’s 48 strikeouts were on the low side for a high-leverage reliever, he is in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity and in the 95th percentile in his ground ball rate, meaning he was elite at inducing weak contact.
The 32-year-old is a nine-year MLB veteran having spent his first eight seasons with the New York Yankees.