Blue Jays linked to trade for Rockies outfielder as talks heat up

This is not a live trade report. It is a baseball fit that starts making sense once Springer's fractured left big toe takes a regular outfield bat off Toronto's lineup card.

Springer went on the 10-day injured list on April 12, with MLB.com listing a possible late-April return. That still leaves Toronto needing help right now, especially for a club sitting at 6-9.

Doyle is the kind of target that gets interesting when the market cools. Through 15 games, he is slashing .174/.255/.261 with 1 home run and 2 stolen bases, which is exactly the sort of slow opening that can drag down a trade price.

The Blue Jays would not be chasing him for the April stat line. They would be chasing the player Colorado had in 2024, when Doyle hit 23 home runs, stole 30 bases, and won his second straight Gold Glove in center field.

That profile still plays in any park. Elite speed, premium defense, and enough pop to change a game with one swing is not something clubs usually shop for at a discount.

Toronto's current outfield group has bodies, but not much certainty. ESPN's roster page lists Daulton Varsho, Nathan Lukes, Jesús Sánchez, Davis Schneider, Myles Straw, and Eloy Jiménez among the options, with Springer out.

Doyle would give Schneider something cleaner in center field. He is 27, plays a premium defensive position, and is only 2 seasons removed from looking like one of the better all-around outfielders in the National League.

That is why this would be a real buy-low swing instead of a depth move. His 2026 Statcast page still shows 90.8 mph average exit velocity and 28.3 ft/sec sprint speed, so the raw tools have not disappeared just because the first 51 plate appearances went sideways.

There is risk in it. Doyle's current expected numbers are light, with a .249 xwOBA and a 37.3% strikeout rate, so Toronto would be betting on talent more than present production.

But that is usually when a trade like this becomes possible. A two-time Gold Glove center fielder coming off a rough 2 weeks is a lot easier to discuss than the same player coming off another hot stretch.

And for the Blue Jays, the fit is obvious. Springer is hurt, the record is shaky, and Toronto needs more range and athletic life in the outfield than it has shown so far.

That does not mean a deal is close. It does mean Brenton Doyle looks like the kind of player the Blue Jays should be calling on before the price starts climbing again.