The Toronto Blue Jays’ aggressive offseason could hit its most critical juncture. Acquiring a three-time All-Star like Ketel Marte comes with a difficult question: is one star player worth the future of the franchise?

Jon Heyman had reported that the Jays are among the teams interested in Marte, though nothing is close. Then, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith added that Toronto is more on the edge of those talks. And once you see the D’backs’ asking price, it’s easy to know why.

Most of it has to do with Marte’s contract. He signed a long-term deal at a luxury tax hit well below market value, and that makes him one of the most team-friendly stars in the league. One executive estimated that his surplus value is around $100 million.

But Ken Rosenthal had reported that Arizona is not backing down from their demands. Even after ensuring the rotation is sorted, they still want young, major league-ready pitching.

He further added, “The D’Backs, wanting to avoid getting caught short again, almost certainly will seek young pitching in any package for Marte, a switch-hitter and three-time All-Star. But the question remains: Will any team meet their price for a player whose contract is so affordable?”

For the Blue Jays, that’s where the heartbreak comes in! 

Toronto doesn’t have an outfield surplus, and it is not as tradeable as it looks.

Varsho is too important, and Addison Barger is still a building block. That pushed names like Joey Loperfido or Davis Schneider into the spotlight. No doubt, they are useful players, but probably not enough on their own.

The real cost, though, could be on the mound because Toronto’s depth might be under the microscope. Trey Yesavage is there, but he is almost untouchable. Then there is Bowden Francis, Eric Lauer, or rising arm Gauge Stanifer, who could all be part of the conversations. If the talks are over, then top prospects’ names, like Arjun Nimmala or Jojo Parker, could be floated around too.

That’s the trade-off.

Now Marte would be a seamless fit for the Toronto Blue Jays roster. More so if they can’t bring back Bo Bichette. He would stabilize the infield and lengthen the lineup. But getting him would also mean giving up on the young talent that the Jays have stockpiled.

For now, the Jays will be waiting and watching, at least until Bo decides. As for the D’backs, they might have some internal reasons to give up Marte, too.

The one issue that could push teams away from the Marte trade!

On the field, Ketel Marte is no doubt one of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ staples. But off it, though, things seem to be a little more complicated.

Earlier this year, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic broke the news that some D’backs players have privately questioned whether the team might actually benefit from moving Marte. A big flashpoint of this came after the All-Star break.

Marte had missed the first three games of the second half after a burglary at his home. There are at least $400,000 worth of items that were stolen. While the reason to miss time is justifiable enough, his teammates took issue with the timing, because Marte spent most of the break in the Dominican Republic, not in Arizona, when the burglary happened.

Those missed games mattered more because the Arizona Diamondbacks were in a key spot, trying to decide whether to buy or stand still at the trade deadline. Players in the team felt that Marte’s absence sent a wrong message to teammates whose names were floating in the trade rumors.

There were also concerns about Marte asking for days off. However, the organization now thinks that the issue is resolved. Derrick Hall, the team president, in fact, said Marte realized the impact his actions had, and the issue is behind them.

This off-field factor might be one reason for teams to stay away from Marte. But for the Jays, who have big contracts and want to get a bigger player, Marte and his financials might be too good to give up.