Article: Eric Lauer Has Gotten the Job Done

[Leo Morgenstern]

Eric Lauer made his Blue Jays debut on April 30, 2025. It was a long time in the making. 

In the summer of 2013, the Jays saw something they couldn’t resist in Lauer. Days after his 18th birthday, the southpaw heard his name called in the 17th round of the MLB draft. The Blue Jays must have known it was a long shot, but they pulled the trigger anyway. Lauer had already committed to play college ball – that’s precisely why he fell so low in the draft – and even Toronto’s seven-figure offer couldn’t change his mind. Three years later, the Padres selected him 25th overall. 

More than a decade after they drafted him, the Blue Jays still saw something to like in Lauer. His stock was low when Toronto signed him this past winter. He had been a solid mid-rotation arm for the Brewers from 2021-22, pitching to a 3.47 ERA with 2.8 FanGraphs WAR in 53 games. Yet, he struggled so badly in 2023 that he ended up making as many starts at Triple A as he did in the majors. Milwaukee cut him loose at the end of the year. 

It wasn’t until March of 2024 that Lauer inked a minor league deal with the Pirates, and he failed to make it back to the majors with either the Pirates or later the Astros. The lefty ultimately finished the 2024 campaign in the KBO, where he pitched to a roughly league-average ERA in seven starts. He won the Korean Series with the Kia Tigers, but the Tigers chose not to keep him around for 2025.

Despite his rough go of it in each of the two years prior, the Blue Jays signed Lauer relatively early in the 2024-25 offseason. They offered him $2.2 million if he made the roster, with playing time incentives that could increase the value of the deal. That’s not a huge expense for a team like Toronto, but it’s on the higher end for a minor league deal. All this to say, the Blue Jays didn’t just pick Lauer up off the scrap heap for lack of a better option. They must have seen something in his arm to make them want to take a chance on him, much like they did all those years ago. 

Though it took a month for Lauer to earn the call to Toronto, he has done exactly what he's needed to do through his first three Blue Jays appearances. In his first and third outings, he piggybacked off of an opener. Coming in after Yariel Rodríguez to face the Red Sox on April 30, Lauer gave up two runs in his first inning of work. He settled in after that, tossing three more scoreless frames. The Blue Jays went on to win on a walkoff in the 10th. Then, this past Sunday, he entered in the third inning after José Ureña had faced the Mariners’ order once through. Lauer cruised through the outing, facing the minimum through 4 2/3. He struck out five. Toronto trounced Seattle 9-1.

In between those two pseudo-starts, Lauer made a more traditional relief appearance. John Schneider might have been planning to piggyback him with Ureña that day, but Ureña pitched into the fifth, and with the game tied 2-2, the skipper opted to use his best bullpen arms to try to secure a win. Toronto took a one-run lead in the top of the eighth, and setup man Yimi García came in for the bottom of the frame. Yet, eight batters, six runs, and one pitching change later, Schneider was handing the ball to Lauer. Thankfully, Lauer accomplished what García and Jeff Hoffman couldn’t; he finished the inning with a single pitch.

Lauer has been nothing short of excellent so far. There's no doubt about it, particularly after his performance on Sunday. If his first three outings with the Blue Jays were one start, he’d have thrown a complete game, facing only five batters more than the minimum. He has nine strikeouts and 18 whiffs. He’s given up two runs on four hits, three walks, and a hit-by-pitch.

I'm certainly not suggesting Lauer is going to maintain a 2.00 ERA all season. He's just not that kind of arm. This is a guy with a career 4.26 ERA. He had a 5.26 ERA at Triple A last year and a 5.63 ERA this spring. He had a 4.50 ERA in five starts for the Buffalo Bisons before his call-up to the Jays. His days as a coveted draft prospect are far behind him. Indeed, pitch models like PitchingBot and Stuff+ suggest Lauer has been one of the more hittable pitchers in the league this year – even if his opponents haven’t actually managed many hits yet. His track record? Less than stellar. His stuff? Even less so. 

So, when I say the Blue Jays saw something they liked in Lauer, I'm not saying they have a plan to turn him into an ace, or even a mid-rotation arm, or heck, even a number five starter. All I mean is that he can be a guy who gives them some innings in more than a last resort, mop-up capacity. Every contending team needs arms like that to make it through the season, and they aren't as easy to find as you might think. 

Two weeks since his call-up, Lauer has already contributed to a couple of wins. He also saved the bullpen from further embarrassment in a tough loss. In other words, he has gotten the job done, and the Jays will hope he continues to do so in whatever role they need him to fill. Lauer joining the Blue Jays was a long time in the making. If he can play just a small part in getting them into the playoffs this year, he'll have been worth the wait. 

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