As the Phillies went out and dropped a record $150 million on Kyle Schwarber, it might’ve just altered the entire MLB landscape. And as the Red Sox were leading the race for Schwarber, but now that Philly swooped in, teams around the AL East, especially the Blue Jays, are scrambling and shifting their plans.

Now, with Schwarber off the board, there’s suddenly a new big name drawing heavy attention. Guess a superstar bat from the Diamondbacks who just became one of the hottest targets on the market. And if the insiders are right, the Blue Jays might end up regretting dragging their feet instead of locking in a deal earlier.

“Ketel Marte has been linked to the Blue Jays, a team that’s nothing if not thorough. Yet they appear to be on the periphery of those talks rather than in the middle of them,” Sportsnet’s Ben Nicolson-Smith spilled the beans.

Well, ever since the Blue Jays showed interest in Kyle Tucker, they’ve also been eyeing Ketel Marte as a more affordable alternative. But now that the Red Sox whiffed on the Schwarber sweepstakes, they’ve suddenly jumped ahead of Toronto in the race for Marte. And the reason’s pretty simple.

If Boston also misses out on Pete Alonso, Marte, with his 28 HRs, 72 RBIs, 145 wRC+, and 4.6 fWAR in 2025, becomes a really appealing fallback option. That too, despite his $116 million price tag!

For the Blue Jays, though, this just complicates everything. The Diamondbacks reportedly want young pitching options while they wait for Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, and Justin Martinez to get healthy. That likely means Trey Yesavage would come up in any talks, and the Jays would almost certainly shut that down immediately.

The Red Sox, on the other hand, have young arms like Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. Guess what, they might actually be willing to move them. So, missing out on Schwarber ends up making Boston one of the top contenders for Marte. As for the Blue Jays? With the Marte chase getting tougher, they might be left choosing between Tucker and Bichette as their next move.

The Blue Jays’ Red Sox challenge doesn’t end with Marte

It’s not just Ketel Marte where the Blue Jays find themselves battling the Red Sox. Instead, the same situation is unfolding with Bo Bichette. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, Boston is now eyeing Bichette as a possible replacement for Alex Bregman. And honestly, it makes sense.

If you remember, Bichette has always fared well at Fenway, hitting .329 with a .907 OPS in 157 plate appearances. And the Red Sox could easily slot him in at second base, a position he even played in the World Series.

So if Bichette ends up in Boston too, what’s left for the Jays?

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Well, pretty much the biggest name on the market: Kyle Tucker, the $400 million superstar! According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, even after committing $500 million to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and $210 million to Dylan Cease, Toronto might still be willing to make a run at Tucker, and why wouldn’t they?

Schwarber’s off the table, Marte looks like a stronger fit for Boston, Bellinger might head to the Yankees, and Bichette is very much in Red Sox conversations. That leaves Tucker as possibly the best and last big swing for the Jays!