Dodgers steal World Series stalwart from Blue Jays after abrupt DFA

This could work, but there is cause for concern.

Eric Cole

Apr 11, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Eric Lauer (56) walks towards the dugout against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a good spot in terms of their record and their standing in the NL West, but all is not well with the team. Being on a four-game winning streak masked a bit of a swoon before that, and their rotation remains battered. There was hope that Blake Snell's return would help, but Snell pretty much immediately went back on the IL with elbow issues, so the Dodgers are having to resort to being opportunistic to address the problem.

On Sunday, one possible solution revealed itself. Eric Lauer was a surprisingly strong performer for the Blue Jays in their run to the World Series. Unfortunately, he was unable to replicate that success in 2026 after posting a 6.69 ERA through his first eight appearances. Toronto DFA'd Lauer during a recent roster shake-up.

Well, the Dodgers seem to think that they can fix Lauer's issues, or at least they are willing to try. It was reported by The Athletic's Katie Woo and others that the Dodgers were acquiring Lauer. Whether or not the move will move the needle at all, however, is a different question entirely.

The Dodgers are signing Eric Lauer, sources tell The Athletic. Lauer, who played a big part in the Blue Jays playoff run, was DFA’d by Toronto last week. Pitched 8 games, made 6 starts. Gives Dodgers some options with their pitching currently relatively thin.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) May 17, 2026

Dodgers seize the opportunity to sign Eric Lauer, but he could end up being a lump of coal in their stocking

Lauer was legitimately good in 2025 for Toronto. In 28 total appearances, split between starting and relieving, Lauer posted a 3.18 ERA while being a real contributor during their postseason surge. For that reason, it was pretty odd to see him struggle so much this season, especially with his issues with the home run ball.

If the Dodgers have a fix in mind for Lauer (which probably needs to start with reworking his breaking balls and their usage), then this move could end up being a bargain. However, the underlying numbers in Lauer's season thus far are not encouraging, and after giving up a league-leading 11 home runs through 36.1 innings this year, Lauer could implode quickly and in dramatic fashion if LA guesses wrong here.

However, this is a relatively low-risk move for the Dodgers to make. Snell is going to be out for a while, and we still don't know exactly when Tyler Glasnow will return. If Lauer can give LA a handful of passable appearances in the meantime, that will be more than worth the gamble. It may be a good idea to have a quick hook at the ready when he takes the mound, though.

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.