Dodgers Acquire Eric Lauer

2:37PM: Both teams have officially announced the move, which is Lauer and cash considerations heading to Los Angeles in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.  Right-hander Brusdar Graterol was shifted from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL in order to create space for Lauer on the 40-man roster.

2:08PM: The Dodgers are acquiring left-hander Eric Lauer from the Blue Jays, The Athletic’s Katie Woo reports.  The Blue Jays designated Lauer for assignment last week and there hadn’t been any word on Lauer’s status on the waiver wire.  Woo’s initial report indicated that Lauer had signed with Los Angeles (and thus cleared waivers and was either released, or Lauer rejected an outright assignment in favor of free agency), but her updated report states that “the process is still being configured,” which could mean the Dodgers and Jays are working out some kind of minor trade.

The Dodgers will owe Lauer just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary, and that number will be subtracted from the approximately $3.2MM remaining on Lauer’s 2026 salary.  The Blue Jays will otherwise cover the rest of that $3.2MM sum, unless some extra money is kicked in from the Dodgers as part of a trade.

Lauer posted solid numbers as a starter and swingman with the Padres and Brewers from 2018-22, but his career was at a crossroads after a rough 2023 campaign.  The left-hander didn’t pitch in the big leagues at all in 2024, as he spent his time in the minors with the Astros and Pirates and also had a stint in the KBO League with the Kia Tigers.  Toronto inked Lauer to a minor league contract in the 2024-25 offseason, and he ended up being one of the unsung heroes of the Jays’ run to the American League crown.

Initially called up as a long reliever and bulk pitcher, Lauer was moved into a full-fledged starting role by June before being shifted back into bullpen work in September and throughout the postseason.  Lauer posted a 3.18 ERA, 23.9% strikeout rate, and 6.1% walk rate across 104 2/3 regular-season innings and then delivered a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 playoff frames.

Despite these solid numbers, the Jays still viewed Lauer as a swingman or depth option heading into 2026, as Toronto addressed the rotation by signing Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, and then reuniting with Max Scherzer.  However, fate intervened again with a swath of injuries that quickly thinned the Blue Jays’ pitching depth, leaving Lauer again in a starting job.

This time, Lauer came back to earth.  He posted a 6.69 ERA over 36 1/3 innings and eight outings this season, and his 16K% and 9.9BB% also went in the wrong direction from 2025.  Lauer wasn’t entirely healthy himself as he battled through a bad case of the flu, but there also seemed to be some discord between the left-hander and the team over his usage.  Lauer went public with his displeasure over first his lack of starting opportunities, and then the Jays’ decision to use an opener for some of Lauer’s outings.

Ironically, Lauer now finds himself on a team known for non-traditional pitcher deployment, so it wouldn’t be a shock if the Dodgers again use an opener if Lauer is lined up to face a team with several tough right-handed batters atop a lineup.  That assumes Lauer will start at all, though that is probably the likeliest scenario given the team’s rotation needs.

Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are both on the injured list, leaving Los Angeles with two holes in its preferred six-man rotation model.  Roki Sasaki‘s starting job is also less than stable given the right-hander’s shaky start to the 2026 campaign, though Sasaki might retain his rotation role just by dint of a lack of other options.  Lauer could be inserted alongside Sasaski, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, and Emmet Sheehan.  Down on the farm, River Ryan might be approaching readiness for a return to the majors as well, so the Dodgers again find themselves in the odd position of both technically having a rotation surplus, let also a shortage of arms.