Right out of the gate, Lauer could be thrust into the starting rotation sooner than most expected. He thought he would be the team’s swingman bouncing between the bullpen and the rotation, but now there’s a chance he could factor into the opening day plans.
Then there’s the matter of Lauer’s arbitration case, in which he earned $4.4 million after filing $5.75 million. Despite a solid season with the Blue Jays last year, with 15 starts and a 3.77 ERA in the rotation, referees didn’t see it the same way. Lauer will make less this year than the $5.075 million he earned in 2023 as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Eric Lauer reiterated that he feels most comfortable as a starter and believes that finishing 2025 in the bullpen hurt his arbitration case: “Preparing as a starter is what I’ve always done. Last year I showed I can work from that. That’s the game plan.” #BlueJays
Lauer is also a free agent at the end of this year, so he’s looking for a starting spot to maximize his earning potential. Whether that is with the Blue Jays – or another team – remains to be seen. But with Scherzer being inked and another starting pitcher stacked on the depth stack, does that mean Lauer is expendable?
Lauer isn’t burning a hole in the Blue Jays’ pocket, but with Yesavage, Scherzer and Berrios all vying for spots, it makes for a tough situation. Add Lauer to the equation and it becomes even more cumbersome, so there may come a time when a roster spot needs to be opened.
Eric Lauer was “quite disappointed” to have lost his arbitration case, especially since his camp was willing to negotiate a “reasonable offer.” He told me that finishing the year as a middle reliever probably worked against him, regardless of how it was framed for him. (1/2)
Sure, some teams may have expressed interest in Lauer for their starting rotation, but it’s far too early for the Blue Jays to make such moves before camp ends. But it might be a deeper conversation for later in April or May, when there’s the dilemma of juggling as many as seven or eight starting pitchers.
Chances are good that an injury, setback or two will pave the way for guys like Lauer to get some playing time and show themselves, so the Blue Jays’ plans should be fluid as there are a lot of question marks in the starting rotation. These things always have a way of working themselves out.
Lauer proved his value and effectiveness for Toronto multiple times last year, coming in at various points throughout the season and saving their rotation. In late August of last year, the team moved him to a bullpen role after Bieber returned to the fold as starting pitcher.
It’s great for the team to add pitching depth by signing players like Scherzer earlier this week, but Lauer may have viewed that addition as another player standing in his way of cracking the starting rotation. These players will always say they play for the collective good of the team, but let’s be honest: they also want to get paid.
The earning potential for Lauer as a starting pitcher heading into free agency is exponentially higher than as a swingman. Heck, even Clay Holmes went from calling games with the New York Yankees for three seasons to signing a three-year, $38 million contract with the New York Mets as the starting pitcher.
Holmes lost his spot as closer late in his tenure with the Yankees, but was able to parlay a decent season as a reliever into a major payday as a starting pitcher. I’m not saying there’s a $38 million deal for Lauer this winter (pending a possible lockout), but his ceiling as a starter is significantly higher in the rotation.
For the most part, that’s out of his hands with the Blue Jays this year, as he’ll be a good trooper and once again do whatever is asked of him, whether that’s bridging the gap between a starter who was sent back in the second inning or starting the back end of a doubleheader.
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