The Dodgers may have plenty of pitching decisions to sort through this winter, but Eric Lauer has already done enough to put himself in line for a nice payday.
Los Angeles picked up the left-hander after Toronto designated him for assignment in mid-May, and he quickly became more than just a stopgap. Lauer helped the Dodgers keep their six-man rotation intact and, for a stretch, looked like one of the more useful arms in the group. In his first nine outings with LA, he went 5-0 with a 2.96 ERA.
The finish wasn’t as smooth. Lauer faded later in the year and eventually landed on the injured list with an elbow injury. Even so, the overall body of work was enough to show he can still handle a regular role in a major league rotation.
That’s why Spotrac projects him for a two-year, $19.4 million deal in free agency.
A reunion with the Dodgers doesn’t sound likely. Los Angeles has a deep starting-pitching mix, and it’s hard to see the club matching what a team with a bigger need on the mound could offer. Lauer is 31, which puts him in a strong spot to land a multi-year contract, and he profiles as a solid fourth or fifth starter for a club looking for rotation help.
His path to this point has been a long one. The Padres took him in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, he debuted in San Diego in 2018, and then he was traded to the Brewers before the 2020 season.
After four years in Milwaukee, Lauer bounced around the league, spent time in Korea, then resurfaced with the Blue Jays. He put together a strong 2025 season before struggling in 2026 and getting DFA’d.
Now, after nearly being left without a job, he’s positioned to cash in. The Dodgers gave him the platform, and free agency may give him the contract.
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Dodgers Have Two Rotation Fallbacks If Tarik Skubal Gets Away
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