DUNEDIN, Fla. — Left-hander Eric Lauer lost his arbitration case to the Toronto Blue Jays and will be paid the team’s offer of $4.4 million rather than his ask of $5.75 million, according to an industry source.
Lauer went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA over 104.2 innings in 28 games (15 starts) last season, with 102 strikeouts and just 26 walks allowed. Beyond the strong numbers, he became a vital stabilizing force after his promotion from triple-A Buffalo at the end of April, helping the Blue Jays overcome Max Scherzer’s early-season absence.
Still, the case likely hinged on Lauer’s missed time during an injury-marred 2023, when he earned $5.075 million but was outrighted by the Milwaukee Brewers, and in 2024, when he pitched in both the Houston and Pittsburgh systems before finishing the year in Korea.
He joined the Blue Jays on a minor-league deal ahead of last year. After being promoted and finishing the season on the roster, he re-entered the arb system for the final time before becoming eligible for free agency this fall. There was no precedent for such players having their salaries go backwards in arbitration, making the ruling a potentially significant one moving forward.
Lauer’s arbitration case was the first for the Blue Jays since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was awarded his ask of $19.9 million, rather than the Blue Jays’ offer of $18.05 million, in 2024.
The club had won three straight cases prior to that, beating Roberto Osuna and Marcus Stroman in 2018 and Ryan Tepera in 2019.