Blue Jays Find Surprising Trade Partner for Eric Lauer After DFA'ing Him

Eric Lauer came through for Toronto in 2025, but his time is officially done as a Blue Jay. At least for now.

Apr 29, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Eric Lauer (56) pitches to the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The most significant move for the Toronto Blue Jays this season broke on Sunday afternoon, mid-game against the Detroit Tigers, as the Blue Jays announced that their dependable arm from last season, Eric Lauer, was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Lauer is headed to the reigning world champs for either cash considerations or a player to be named later. This simply means that the Blue Jays will be picking up a piece of his contract for the time being, and time will give us more answers to the rest of this deal.

Unfortunately, Lauer has looked nothing like the consistent starter and reliever that the Blue Jays had last season, which led to his designated assignment after his latest outing, which would be his last of the year with Toronto. By DFA'ing him, the Blue Jays had the right to trade him. If he had not been traded, he would have had to clear waivers before Toronto could option him to an affiliate, though Lauer may have had the service time to refuse the assignment and become a free agent.

It is hard to come to terms with Lauer's departure after his heroics during the postseason, specifically his Game 5 outing in a win-or-go-home situation. But he has not helped out an injury-struck pitching staff. Instead, he has been a liability.

Lauer in 2026

Blue Jays starting pitcher Eric Lauer (56) walks towards the dugout against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Rogers Centre. \ | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Lauer was a swing role starter last year before eventually being placed in the bullpen, due to no fault of his own, but the bullpen was struggling, and he was the best option. This season, he was immediately thrown into the starting rotation as the injured list had most of the pitching staff.

But things did not go his way nor the Blue Jays way anytime he took the mound.

It is almost hard to fathom that the Blue Jays will no longer have Eric Lauer on their pitching staff after how well he did in the Jays' postseason last October, where he held his opponents under a .200 batting average with a 3.12 ERA, but when Toronto has needed some reliability this season, it hasn't been there.

In 2025, the Jays went on to win the team's first AL Pennant in over three decades, and that couldn't have happened without Lauer. If he starts looking like that pitcher, then the Dodgers won this move, but the Blue Jays can't risk that any longer.