If you have all the talent in the world, professional sports teams will tolerate a lot.

Case in point with Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who was a no-show for his team’s series in Boston back in August. The events that followed were among the strangest of the season involving any Major League player.

Throughout it all, the D-backs organization publicly backed Marte. Then again, what were they supposed to do with a player who has a full no-trade clause and four years left on his $116.5-million contract extension?

It’s a difficult scenario for any team to tiptoe around with their franchise player. While some teams see the Marte situation and won’t touch it with a 10-foot pole, others might see an opportunity to buy low on a distressed asset that may have worn out his welcome in Arizona.

Enter the Toronto Blue Jays, a team starved for offence as one of the lowest-scoring teams in MLB this year, and whose second base position clearly needs upgrading. The Blue Jays ranked 24th in bWAR for second basemen, with 1.0 total bWAR on the year.

Any sort of trade discussions on Marte coming to Toronto hinge on him waiving his no-trade clause, which in itself is likely deterring some general managers from proceeding any further. With 10-and-5 rights, the 32-year-old has full no-trade protection rights, so he can call the shots on whether he leaves the desert.

But considering the theatrics that played out with Marte and the Diamondbacks this season, he would be a good change of scenery candidate to rekindle some of that All-Star magic he displayed in 2024 and 2025. Toronto might be the perfect setting for him to flourish as a top-five MVP bat once again.

The Blue Jays weren’t a playoff team this year, but they made a deep playoff run in 2025 and still have most of the building blocks to potentially return to the postseason in 2027. They are a franchise that’s committed to contending, which could be attractive for Marte.

And then there’s the X factor, which is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Marte is close with Vladdy, apparently considering himself an older brother to Guerrero, as they’re related (Marte’s wife is Guerrero’s cousin). Getting to play ball for the foreseeable future with your cousin-in-law may be a selling point that other teams can’t offer.

From the Blue Jays’ perspective, could it be too risky to wade into Marte trade talks, even if he’s willing to come north of the 49th parallel? The Blue Jays would be taking on another large contract, which runs through the 2030 season and has a $13.5-million player option for the 2031 season.

Ages 33 through 37 typically are not prime seasons for infielders, especially those playing half of their games on artificial turf in locations like Arizona, Toronto, and Tampa Bay. Those are usually the years you’re trying to get those players off their feet as much as possible by transitioning over to a designated hitter role.

Then, of course, there’s the off-field baggage that comes with a player of Marte’s ilk. He’s someone who’s gone AWOL on at least three publicly documented occasions, and who knows what else has happened behind closed doors. If a player can’t be expected to show up, how valuable is he to the team?

That’s not to mention the prospect capital going out the door, which would still be hefty, despite the inner turmoil and down year from Marte. The D-backs wouldn’t part with him for pennies on the dollar. A trade for Marte might start with an infield prospect like JoJo Parker, and then some.

Had the Blue Jays not already parted with Arjun Nimmala, letting a prized infield prospect go for a big-league second baseman might be a little more palatable. With the Blue Jays amid a farm system rebuild, including Parker in trade talks might be cost-prohibitive.

On the other hand, when your lineup needs an overhaul — some semblance of a sparkplug to ignite the Blue Jays offence — Marte might be the player they’re looking for. The outfield is one area where this team could vastly raise its floor, but second base is another spot where the Jays need to improve their talent pool.

If the Blue Jays explore the free agent market and miss out on guys like Gleyber Torres, Brandon Lowe, and Luis Arraez, Marte’s name suddenly starts to look pretty enticing for anyone looking to upgrade their second base spot.

Many of those players are a similar age to Marte and will be seeking multi-year deals, though likely not in excess of Marte’s six-year, $116.5-million extension with the D-backs. Marte may not be the Blue Jays’ first choice as an infield fixture, but trade talks between the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks may heat up if the free agent talent pool dries up.

The two biggest hurdles the Blue Jays have to get over are whether Marte would even waive his no-trade to come to Toronto and then whether his talent would trump any potential headaches that may arise in the future. Marte appears to be a player who has to be handled delicately, something other teams may not even be equipped to tolerate.

A change of scenery might be exactly what Marte needs to thrive again, and Marte could be exactly what the Blue Jays need to rebuild their starting lineup.