The Blue Jays suddenly have too many starting pitchers, and that’s made figuring out the rotation a real headache. Remember Eric Lauer? He was brought in last year as a dependable starter, but things didn’t exactly go as planned. He eventually got stuck in a relief role instead of the rotation. And to make matters worse, Lauer also lost his arbitration case against the Blue Jays.

Reportedly, he was asking for $5.75 million, but the team countered with $4.4 million, and the arbitrators sided with Toronto. That means he’ll be earning the lower number this season.

And guess what, it didn’t take long for the frustration to show. According to an MLB insider, Lauer’s reaction to the situation has raised eyebrows and could now put his job with the team at risk!

“The difference of opinion between Eric Lauer and the front office could end up in a trade… Eric Lauer is not super happy. But he is going to keep fighting through it because he wants to be a starter at the big league level. And then Mitch Bannon drops this little tidbit here. He says if Lauer does want a guaranteed role, which he does, there should be a pitching-needy team out there willing to trade for starting pitching,”

So, right after losing his arbitration case against the Jays, Lauer didn’t hold back. He went on a full-on rant, telling reporters, “The fact that I ended last year in the bullpen was probably what lost me my (arbitration) case.” And comments like that don’t come without consequences.

According to Bannon, Lauer is currently slotted in as the No. 6 starter on a five-man rotation. And if the Blue Jays end up bringing back veteran Max Scherzer, who’s still a free agent, Lauer would slide even further down the depth chart to No. 7, basically meaning another return to the bullpen.

It doesn’t stop there. Shane Bieber is expected to open the year on the 15-day IL. This would likely push Lauer’s chances of starting even farther out of reach. Sure, if Lauer were willing to settle into a relief role, the Jays wouldn’t have an issue with that. Remember his stint in Game 3 of the World Series? A cool  4.2 innings of scoreless relief!

But according to Gosse, Lauer is still set on being a starter, and that’s where things start getting messy in Toronto.

Even with a respectable 3.77 ERA over 15 starts last season, it’s hard to see the Jays choosing Lauer over younger arms like Yeshavage, or over Scherzer, if he’s re-signed. So, at this point, the cleanest solution might be a trade. One that helps the Jays untangle their pitching logjam and gives Lauer a real shot to start somewhere else.

The big question is who would be there to take a bet on Eric Lauer as a rental.

Eric Lauer could still bring value to the rotation

There’s no real doubt about Lauer’s ability as a starter, but the timing complicates things. He’s heading into the final stretch of his contract before free agency in 2027, which naturally raises the question: who would actually be interested in trading for him? But Gosse has the answer!

“He names the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves as suitable fits because they have already suffered a couple of pitching injuries.” Gosse cited Bannon.

The Twins, in particular, are in a tough spot. They suddenly have an urgent need for starting pitching after Pablo López is missing the entire 2026 season following Tommy John surgery. So, in that context, a trade with the Jays actually makes a lot of sense. Even if Toronto only gets bullpen help back, it could still be a win-win.

The Braves aren’t much better off. Their rotation took a serious blow in mid-February when both Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep were ruled out to start the season. That againopens the door for someone like Lauer to step right into a guaranteed starting role.

So the options are definitely there, but it’s just a matter of how the trade talks play out!

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