Dodgers Rumors: Trade deadline strategy could have Blue Jays regretting DFA yet again

Maybe Eric Lauer just needed a change of scenery, or he has an incredible capacity for spite, or the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching lab is just that good. Or maybe it's some combination of all three. Regardless, he's been better than anyone thought he'd be after the Toronto Blue Jays designated him for assignment and then just gave him up for cash considerations back in May.

Lauer's made seven appearances (six starts) to the tune of a 3.12 ERA in a Dodgers uniform and has already become more of a reliable presence on the mound than Roki Sasaki. He regularly pitches six innings and has yet to give up more than three runs in an outing.

Right after his first appearance as a Dodger, a reporter asked Lauer how he felt about his place on the roster and what he might have to do to secure it. Lauer reacted sort of petulantly, but it was a fair question. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow will be back at some point, and the rotation is currently set at six.

Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers front office are probably already looking at Lauer as an opportunity. Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic named him a potential trade chip for LA at the deadline.

Eric Lauer just makes sense as Dodgers trade bait at the upcoming deadline

Trading Lauer would be functionally identical to when the Dodgers traded Dustin May last year. Both impending free agents, both pitching well enough to drive up their value for LA, both getting pushed off the roster by players with bigger contracts coming back from injury. May's trade to the Boston Red Sox accomplished exactly what the Dodgers' intended goal this season is: strengthen their minor league depth.

If the Dodgers could sucker the Red Sox into giving up two top prospects for May — who had never pitched a fully healthy season up to that point and had slowly been coming apart after a strong start to 2025 — they can almost certainly get an equivalent haul back for Lauer.

Buyer-to-buyer trades might be the name of the game at this year's deadline, especially because the American League is such an unpredictable mess right now. Even if they end up giving him up to a serious contender, it's hard to complain when the guy who will take his spot in the rotation is either Snell or Glasnow.

Lauer has done exactly what the Dodgers needed him to do, as long as they needed him to do it. Beyond that, fans can only wish him happy trails.

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