The Blue Jays beat Eric Lauer inside the court room.
According to reporting from Sportsnet, the Toronto Blue Jays defeated left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer in his arbitration hearing this week.
As noted by Shi Davidi, Lauer had wanted to make $5.75 million. He'll make $4 million instead.
What made Lauer's arbitration case so interesting is that Lauer had already made more than $5 million in arbitration previously. But he left affiliated ball to go play in Korea after 2023 and clearly felt he deserved to keep climbing based on his previous earnings.
Evidently, the independent arbiter did not see it the same way, so he will earn a lower number than he had previously with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Lauer file
Now 30 years old, Lauer is a seven-year veteran of the San Diego Padres, Brewers and Blue Jays. He's gone 45-39 for his career with a 4.13 ERA, making 127 starts in 148 appearances. He won a career-high 11 games for the Brewers in 2022.
Last season, he pitched in a swing role for John Schneider's team, going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA. He made 15 starts out of 28 appearances, tossing 104.2 innings in the regular season. He added five appearances in the postseason, including 5.2 scoreless innings in the World Series.
He's a free agent after the 2026 season.
How he fits into the 2026 Jays
He figures to play an important role once more. After the news of Shane Bieber's injury to start the year surfaced, it's evident that Jose Berrios will have to move to the starting rotation, making Lauer the top long-man in the Toronto bullpen.
He'll cover valuable innings in 2026 and will also serve as an additional lefty for the group.
Other things to note
--Trey Yesavage threw his first bullpen of the spring on Wednesday. A front runner for American League Rookie of the Year, he was a huge part of the team's run to the World Series in 2025, winning games in each of the American League Division Series, ALCS and World Series.
--According to Francys Romero on social media, former Jays INF Santiago Espinal has some suitors this offseason.
A six-year veteran of the Jays and Cincinnati Reds, he made the All-Star Game in 2022, hitting .267 with seven homers and 51 RBIs. The Blue Jays made the playoffs that season.
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