Blue Jays are actively shopping for pitching help after Eric Lauer DFA’d

On Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays made a shocking move as left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer was designated for assignment. It was only one year ago when Lauer was a key part of the Blue Jays’ pitching staff.

Not only did he pitch effectively as a starter when Toronto needed him most, he was just as good as a reliever down the stretch. And who could forget his gutsy performance for the Blue Jays during the 18-inning marathon in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series.

Unfortunately, after a disastrous start to his 2026 campaign, Lauer is no longer part of the Jays’ contending picture. With the Toronto rotation depth being challenged since the start of the year after being hit with multiple injuries, it was quite surprising to see them let the 30-year-old veteran go.

But Blue Jays manager John Schneider gave some valuable insight, indicating that Toronto is actively shopping for external pitching help to potentially fill the void, as per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider reveals the plans for Toronto as a fallout of Lauer’s DFA

“There are ways to explore around the league, too. I know that Ross (Atkins) and everyone are kind of crossing every bridge they can to figure that out,” Schneider said.

The Blue Jays lucked out earlier this season when they were able to find veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin dangling in free agency on a super-value $1 million deal. Not only has Corbin now become a more permanent fixture in the Blue Jays rotation, he has also been doing an impressive job in that role. The 36-year-old left-hander has compiled a 1-1 record with a solid 3.60 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, with 21 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched over six starts. It would really help Toronto to find another pitching saviour like Corbin, either via trade or the free agency route.

In the meantime, according to Bannon, the Blue Jays manager also mentioned that Spencer Miles, along with prospects CJ Van Eyk and Chad Dallas will be in the mix for the Jays’ fifth starter spot to hold down the fort for the time being. Miles, of course, is coming off a fine performance this past Sunday which he went three scoreless innings as the teams opener, holding the Los Angeles Angels to just two hits with two strikeouts.

As for Van Eyk and Dallas, both pitchers have had strong starts with Triple-A Buffalo, with the former posting a 3.13 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched over seven starts and the latter compiling a tidy 3.60 ERA along with 27 strikeouts in 25 total innings over seven appearances that included six starts.

The Blue Jays pitching staff remains in flux ever since the start of the 2026 MLB season, and the next move that Toronto makes could end up determining their ultimate success.

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