The Atlanta Braves recently extended ace Chris Sale to a one-year, $27 million deal, which is a great signing, but it also brings to light that the Braves could use another lefty starter to help pair with Sale and the rest of the Braves’ rotation.
With the Toronto Blue Jays‘ recent signing of Max Scherzer, there are continued rumors that the Jays might move on from southpaw starter Eric Lauer, who appears not to have a spot in Toronto’s rotation anymore. This is a big season for Lauer, as he approaches free agency, but if the Jays don’t plan on signing him, could trading him be an option? The Atlanta Braves stand out as a team that would welcome his services in a variety of ways, and a recent article by FanSided.com floats the possibility of Lauer being traded as well.
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The Braves Stand Out as a Top Landing Spot for Eric Lauer
The Braves, if they can put together a strong enough trade package, could be a standout spot for Eric Lauer.
FanSided’s Zachary Rotman indicated in a post earlier this week that Lauer is one of four Blue Jays players who could be traded before Opening Day:
“Sure, you can’t always get what you want, but should the Jays really want to keep a potentially disgruntled pitcher around? Not only is he dissatisfied with his current role, but Lauer also recently lost his arbitration case against Toronto. Trading him for a different depth option or to fill another need could be best for all involved.”
GettyWalt Weiss has made a crucial lineup decision.
The old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” applies perfectly here for the Atlanta Braves. Lauer posted a 3.18 ERA over 15 starts and 104.2 innings in 2025. He’s a swingman, as Lauer also made a handful of appearances out of the bullpen, but his versatility would bode well for this Braves pitching staff.
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What Would the Braves Have to Give Up?
Considering Eric Lauer is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season, that drives his asking price down a little bit, and the Braves could get this deal done by giving up a player like Nacho Alvarez Jr. or Ray Kerr. Both are much cheaper options and are good depth pieces.
The only troubling factor is that the Blue Jays already have a very complete roster, and holding onto Lauer gives the team another level of depth among the pitching staff.
Atlanta has Martin Perez and Joey Wentz as other southpaw starters (who could also be trade candidates in this case), but the 30-year-old Lauer might be a more productive option for Atlanta if they were relying on him to make more starts.
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