The Dodgers needed a left-handed arm. They got one Wednesday.
Los Angeles acquired pitcher Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. The deal closed on the same day reliever Jack Dreyer was placed on the injured list, which is not a coincidence.
This is classic Andrew Friedman. The Dodgers are dealing with their usual mountain of pitching injuries, and rather than panic, they identified a cheap depth piece on a team that needed to make room and pounced.
Lauer is 30 years old. He has been around the league, with stops in San Diego, Milwaukee, and now Toronto. He has been a starter, a swingman, and a reliever depending on the team and the year. The Dodgers will use him wherever they need a stable arm, which right now is in the bullpen or possibly as a spot starter.
His numbers in Toronto were not eye-popping, but he was reliable. He gave up earned runs at a manageable clip, kept the ball in the park more than most lefties, and was a clubhouse-positive guy. That last part matters more than fans tend to think.
The Dodgers’ pitching staff is a disaster zone right now. Tyler Glasnow has been in and out. Walker Buehler had setbacks. Shohei Ohtani is still ramping back up as a pitcher. Max Scherzer has been out a month with tendinitis in his right forearm and ankle inflammation. The bullpen has cycled through arms.
Dreyer was a key piece. The lefty had been a strong setup option, and his loss for any extended period would have been a problem. Lauer cannot fully replace what Dreyer offered, but he can soak up innings, give Dave Roberts a left-handed look out of the pen, and stabilize the middle of games.
The Blue Jays’ side of the deal is also smart. Toronto is dealing with its own injury crisis. They lost Jose Berrios to Tommy John surgery last week. They put Dylan Cease on the 15-day IL over the weekend with a hamstring strain. Their rotation is held together with tape. Moving Lauer for cash creates roster flexibility and saves money.
The fact that the Jays moved Lauer rather than holding him as depth is interesting. It suggests Toronto is either confident in their internal options or has another move on the way. With the trade deadline approaching, the Jays could be repositioning their roster to make a bigger trade.
For the Dodgers, this is a small move with practical impact. Lauer is the kind of player who often outperforms his pre-trade reputation when he gets to a team like LA. The Dodgers’ pitching development infrastructure is world-class. They have made a career out of finding journeymen and turning them into useful pieces.
The bigger picture is that the Dodgers are still favored to win the NL West. They have the deepest position-player core in baseball. They have Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith all healthy. The question is whether the pitching holds up enough to survive October.
Eric Lauer is not going to be the difference in October. But he might be the difference in June. And right now, getting through June is the priority.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
