Insider Drops HUGE Jays Trade Report...

We never put the ball in the seats. We were not walking. That's what Ross Atkins said on September 30th, talking about his own team's offense. A year after playing in the World Series, the Jays went 79-83 and finished dead last in the AL East. So it's clear, they need a bat, not just any bat, but a bat that can provide some serious thump to this infield and outfield. And this week, the door opened on one of the best second basemen in the last three years. It's official, as a huge report just dropped revealing that the Diamondbacks are now willing to trade Ketel Marte. Arizona reporters say they'll listen to offers on a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger winner. Then, yesterday, Jeff Passan went on the Blair & Barker show and said the Blue Jays could be the team that goes out and gets him. There's a very interesting tidbit to this that fans aren't talking about enough, so in this video, we're going to break down the brand new reports, what Jeff Passan said, and what this means going forward ahead of what's going to be a crazy November starting tomorrow. First, let's talk about why the Jays need a second baseman in the first place. Toronto's second baseman ranked 24th in baseball in WAR this season, per Baseball Reference. Andres Jimenez finished with a .650 OPS, Ernie Clement finished at a .649. Clement went ice cold at the worst time. Over his last 15 games, when they were fighting for a playoff spot, his OPS dropped to .250, and Atkins already said that Clement has to earn the second base job back. This all started with one exit, and that's when Bo Bichette left for the Mets. When Bo Bichette left, Andres Jimenez slid to shortstop, and second base turned into the Ernie Clement show, which was pretty good the year before last, but last year left a big hole in this team. Bo Bichette just picked up his $42 million player option to stay in New York, so he's not going to be coming back to Toronto. Of course, the one guy who was supposed to carry this lineup didn't, as Vladdy went from 23 home runs in 2025 to 9 in 2026, and his OPS fell to a whopping .688, and that's from a guy making $35.7 million a year. And Atkins was honest about it. He said there's one person to look at for why this offense failed, and it's him. And his boss, Mark Shapiro, said that Ross is not going to rest on what we have. So a GM who's that honest about his own lineup is going to make a move, and the bat The bat everybody wanted last winter just came back around. The door is wide open now because Arizona missed the playoffs again, eliminated on the last day of the season, September 27th. That's three straight years without October. GM Mike Hazen told the Arizona Republic about his roster. I think we need to look at some ways to shake the team up a little bit. And earlier in October, he went even further. He asked whether this is the absolute right mix of players to take the next step. And he basically said no. In the same interview, he said some continuity is good for them. So even Arizona isn't sure what it wants to be at this point. But then the reports landed. Nick Piaguero and Jam Gambadoro and Alex Wiener all said that Arizona is willing to trade Ketel Marte and will listen to offers this winter. Listen to the Gambo part of it because it matters. He said it does not mean that they will trade him, but it means that they're finally willing to listen, which is something that we haven't really heard in a while until we look back to last winter when we've been here before. And guess what? The Jays were in on Ketel Marte, but the difference was Arizona at that point didn't want to trade him. The Jays were trying to make a move, but now the door is wide open. Morosi even came out and said there's a 50-50 chance that he would get traded. And Hazen said the talks back then never really got anywhere near his asking price. So Marte stayed put. But what's different now is the big difference is it's obvious. Arizona, they lost again, they missed the playoffs, and this time one of the biggest insiders in the sport is putting Toronto's name in it. That's what's different. Arizona's listening and Pasten is pointing straight at Toronto. But before you get super excited, you have to look at the year he just had. In 2024, Ketel Marte hit 36 home runs with a .932 OPS. In 2025, 28 home runs, good for an 8.93 OPS. And then last year, 22 home runs and a 7.48 OPS, his lowest since 2022. Three years, three drops, and that's 184 points of OPS gone, and he turned 33 this month. So on paper, that's a guy who's sliding. But here's the thing. A lot of that drop wasn't him. His batting average was 249, but based on how hard he hit the ball, StatCast's expected average was .280. When he put the ball in play, his average was 238, but the line drives kept finding gloves. His BABIP was pretty low. What that means is, folks, he got very unlucky. Against left-handed pitching, he slugged 571. Against righties, 386. That's where the year went. But guess what? The Jays could absolutely use that, ironically enough, a man who can mash lefties. You're not buying the 2024 version. You're buying a guy who got unlucky against righties and still crushes lefties. And here's what sells it. Even in his worst year since 2022, his .748 OPS beat Vladdy's at .688, beat Andres Jimenez's at .650, and even beat Ernie Clement Clement at .649. His bad year beats what Toronto got at a second base by a mile, so the bat is fine, the problem is everything around it. On August 17th, Marte didn't show up for a game in Boston, and Arizona put him on the restricted list, and this is where I become a bit less excited about the move. Later on, he went to be placed on the IR, and got ultimately an MRI on his knee, and afterwards he owned it. He said, no one made the decision for me, I'm the one that made the decision to not show up. That is the fourth straight season in which he's missed games by his own choice, and owner Ken Kendrick said he hopes Marte can overcome his consistent acts of immaturity. That's the owner of his own team saying that out loud. That's not something for a clubhouse that just finished last. So he's 33 years old, potentially on the decline. The real red flags are there. But at the same time, it's an interesting conversation. Do I think it's the right option? Probably not because of that, but at the same time, it's hard to look away from a powerhouse like Ketel Marte, even though he is 33. Here's another catch. He does have a full no trade clause, which means he can say no to any deal for any reason. So it doesn't matter necessarily what Ross Atkins offers. If he doesn't want to come to Toronto, it's dead. And nobody knows yet if he'd waive it. So one step, uh, you know, rather step one is not a call to Arizona. It's a call to Marte. And if he says yes, then. He signed this extension in April 2025, 6 years, $116 million. To be honest, pretty cheap. He's only owed $12 million in 2027, half of that is deferred, $20 million in 2028, $22 million each of the next two seasons after. The Jays have room to do that without getting into the luxury tax, and they're going to go well into the luxury tax, so the money isn't the problem. The problem is potentially what Arizona would want back. Last winter, Arizona's ask was described as exorbitant, an established starting pitcher plus multiple young prospects, but now that's just not going to be the case. The starting point might be that they asked for JoJo Parker. The answer is an immediate no. They might ask about Nolan Perry. That's where I want you guys to comment down below. I'm not trading Nolan Perry for Ketel Marte. Maybe a couple other top 10 prospects, sure, but I am not paying. JoJo Parker, there's no chance. Here's the catch and the trap, I guess. If Arizona asked for a starter off the big league roster, you're filling one hole by opening up another. And yes, Marte is a beast in theory, but it's just, it becomes difficult. But if it's for some fringe top 10 prospects or maybe like even one big name, like hypothetically Nolan Perry and then some, you know, additions, that's where it becomes interesting. But he won't be the only team that, you know, the Jays aren't the only team that'll be calling. You have the Red Sox, the Tigers, the Mariners, the Rays, the Phillies, and the Reds that were linked last week. Winter and Rays Hawks reportedly had Ryan Pepio and Shane Baz in the deal, which is two major league starters. Well, that's the market. Teams put real big league talent on the table. Will the Jays do that? That's a big question. The Jays have tons of money coming off. They have the ability to get it done. And that would immediately, of course, slide Ernie Clement back into the utility role. Vladi at first, Marte at second, Jimenez at short, Kazma at third. That is an elite infield. Here's where I stand. I do not make the trade for Jojo Parker. There's no way I wouldn't make the trade for him. I think he's untouchable and he's definitely not even worth that at this point. If it's some other prospects, it becomes a little bit more interesting. I'd only be willing to do this if it's for a steal though. Like I don't even know if I'd include Nolan Perry just because of the potential locker room issues. Now, if I think there is a locker room that could, you know, I guess benefit or at least could help Marte, it is the Toronto Blue Jays one, but comment down below. What's your gut feeling? Would you want to have him in Toronto? He's a power hitting. second baseman, that is an absolute animal. But there's the other stuff that maybe scares off a lot of fans a little bit. So comment down below what your thoughts are. You guys are beasts with support. We'll see you later. Cheers.