Blue Jays send message with bold corresponding roster move to Yariel Rodriguez promotion

"The 30-year-old left-hander has been Designated For Assignment by the Blue Jays. The news came in a few hours before their scheduled game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday (May 11) at Rogers Centre. After being worth 2.2 bWAR a year ago, and basically saving the Blue Jays' season when their pitching was in a flux, Lauer hasn't been able to find anywhere near the same success in 2026."

"Through eight games, including six starts, Lauer was worth -0.5 bWAR, with an ERA at 6.69 and allowing a league high 11 home runs in 36.1 innings pitched, the Blue Jays felt it was best for them to move on. This felt like it was a move that was going to reach a boiling point after Lauer has been, what some would consider, a distraction to the team through the first seven weeks of the year."

"From being vocal about not loving the idea of being a reliever, to stating he hated being used in a game after an opener, to dealing with a neck injury issue without informing the coaching staff, it's been an emotional roller coaster for Lauer in 2026 and the results haven't been worth the headaches."

"The Blue Jays had called up Yariel Rodriguez from Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday evening, but were going to need to clear a roster space to get him into a game. While they had 39 guys on the 40-man roster, the active roster was full, leading to Lauer's DFA. The Blue Jays are indicating they would rather try anything else at this point after Lauer has been used as a starter, a reliever, and a bulk inning guy, and none of those options have paid any dividends."

Eric Lauer was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of their May 11 game against the Tampa Bay Rays. In eight appearances with six starts, he produced -0.5 bWAR, posted a 6.69 ERA, and allowed 11 home runs in 36.1 innings. The move followed a year earlier when he was worth 2.2 bWAR and helped stabilize the team’s pitching. Lauer’s 2026 included public frustration about bullpen roles, complaints about being used after an opener, and a neck injury issue that was not communicated to the coaching staff. The Blue Jays cleared roster space to call up Yariel Rodriguez from Triple-A Buffalo, hoping he can regain his 2025 first-half form.

Read at Jays Journal