3 Blue Jays moves from last offseason that worked out better than expected

"Jeff Hoffman, Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer were three of the bigger names on the free agent market last offseason and the Toronto Blue Jays brought all three players into the fold ahead of the2025 campaign. All three guys were expected to play big roles for the Blue Jays and while Hoffman and Scherzer certainly left their mark on the team, Santander left a lot to be desired. However, they weren't the only players who the Blue Jays added to the team in the offseason."

"It was a move that many felt would barely move the needle, but it in fact may have saved their entire season. Veteran lefty Eric Lauer was inked to a minor league deal which was said to pay him a modest $2.2 million if he made it to the big leagues. Nobody foresaw the kind of season the 2016, 17th round draft pick of the San Diego Padres was about to deliver."

"Lauer didn't make the team out of camp, but was called up at the end of April and made two bulk relief appearances within his first three outings. He then made two spot starts in the middle of May to mixed results before going back into the pen. On June 11, Lauer got the start against the Cardinals in St. Louis and it marked the beginning of a remarkable run."

Jeff Hoffman, Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer joined the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the2025 campaign, with Hoffman and Scherzer contributing while Santander underperformed. The Blue Jays also completed three lesser transactions that produced significant returns. On December 13 the team signed Eric Lauer to a minor league contract with a Spring Training invite; the deal paid about $2.2 million if he reached the majors. Lauer returned from the KBO, was called up at the end of April, and after mixed early usage he began a stretch of starts on June 11 that stabilized the back end of the rotation.

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