As players continue to find their new homes for the 2025 campaign, southpaw Eric Lauer is returning to the United States, signing a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Lauer, 29, was selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He made his MLB Debut in 2018, starting in 23 games, throwing to a 6-7 record, posting a 4.34 ERA, and striking out an even 100 batters in his rookie campaign. He would throw the whole year in the Padres rotation in 2019 before he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.
He would go onto pitch from 2020-2023 with the Brewers, going 22-20, posting a 4.22 ERA in 67 games and 60 starts, striking out 329 batters across 335 innings of work. He would be released at the end of 2023 and signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2024 season. He would be released by the Pirates in May and signed four days later with the Houston Astros organization. Houston released Lauer on August 1 to pursue an opportunity with the Kia Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).
Arriving in South Korea, Lauer threw well, posting a 2-2 record in seven starts, recording a 4.93 ERA in 34.2 innings, striking out 37 batters and only walking 12. The Tigers finished in first place in the KBO in 2024, finishing the season with an 87-55-2 record. The Tigers would eventually defeat the Samsung Lions, as Lauer helped them to win the 2024 Korean Series championship. It certainly will be exciting to see if Lauer is able to bring the electricity he had overseas with him back to the United States in 2025.
