Toronto Blue Jays offer to Eric Lauer makes little sense after 2025 performance
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
After what Eric Lauer did for the Toronto Blue Jays this past season, a pay cut from his 2025 salary makes little sense.
The Blue Jays came to terms with each of Ernie Clement, Daulton Varsho and Tyler Heineman, but couldn't get a deal done with Eric Lauer for the upcoming season.
Lauer filed at $5.75 million, while the Blue Jays filed at $4.4 million. The two sides are $1.35 million apart.
Lauer, 30, performed in a variety of roles over 104 2/3 innings during the regular season, produced an adjusted ERA 34 percent above league average and worked a combined 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the ALCS and World Series.
Eric Lauer gets Mookie Betts to strike out on seven pitches to secure a 11-4 win in Toronto in G1 of the World Series. The Blue Jays now have a 1 to 0 series lead!
Blue Jays offer to Lauer was less than what he made in 2025
Major League Baseball's labor relations department, which offers recommendations to clubs in arbitration, might be trying to make a point with his case.
The Blue Jays, by submitting a $4.4 million figure for Lauer, offered him a pay cut.
Lauer, in his final shot at arbitration before free agency, asked for $5.75 million.
The midpoint is $5.075 million, precisely what Lauer earned in 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers in his second year of arbitration.
The Brewers outrighted him at the end of that season, removing him from their 40-man roster and thus the arbitration system.
Lauer elected free agency, then bounced to the Pittsburgh and Houston organizations before heading to Korea.
He returned in December 2024, signing a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays.
Arbitration panel will decide whether Lauer is justified with his filing
A three-person arbitration panel will effectively decide whether Lauer deserves a raise from his previous arbitration salary.
The Blue Jays generally are a file-and-trial team, going straight to hearings after the exchange of numbers.
They generally make exceptions only for core players, which Lauer is not.
The Jays, meanwhile, could have avoided this matter entirely by signing Lauer for a small raise above his previous $5.075 million before the non-tender deadline.
That way, his deal would not have been considered an arbitration contract.
Lauer helped rescue the Blue Jays' rotation when Max Scherzer was injured and Bowden Francis struggled last season, producing a 3.05 ERA in 14 starts from June 11 until Aug. 16.
He then returned to the bullpen and pitched well in that role too.
Eric Lauer appreciation tweet 👏 4.2 SCORELESS innings out of the bullpen!
The arbitration hearing is scheduled for early February.
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JANVIER 10 | 116 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays offer to Eric Lauer makes little sense after 2025 performance Do you think the Blue Jays and Eric Lauer should have just avoided arbitration? | ||
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