Astros’ Eric Lauer Granted Release, Reported to Pursue KBO Opportunity

The Astros struck out to left Eric Lauer, who had their Triple-A club in Sugar Land, according to a transaction log report on MiLB.com. It looks like that will pave the way for the former pitcher for the Brewers and Padres to sign with the Korea Baseball Organization. Per KBO reporter Daniel Kim, Lauer will sign a contract with the Kia Tigers for the remainder of the 2024 campaign.

Lauer, 29, opened the season with the Pirates’ Triple-A team after signing a minor league deal in spring training and joined Houston’s Triple-A club a few months later after opting out of that deal with Pittsburgh. He’s had bad results throughout in Triple-A this season, working to a combined 5.26 ERA between the two teams. However, he has been hitting well of late (2.86 ERA in his last five starts), maintained a decent strikeout/walk rate throughout the ’24 season (25.3%, 9.1%), and has a major league hitting record. of a particular note.

Selected by the Padres with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Lauer made his major league debut with San Diego in 2018 and spent two seasons playing in the Friars’ backfield. He posted a 4.40 ERA in 53 appearances (all but one of them as a starter) and looked well on his way to establishing himself as a backup option. The Padres traded him to Milwaukee on the sidelines Luis Urias on a merchant ship Trent Grisham again Zach Davies back in San Diego. Lauer made four bad appearances in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, giving up 16 runs in 11 innings, but bounced back in a big way the following year.

At the start of the 2021 season, Lauer added the slider to his repertoire and saw his results take off. He posted a 3.19 ERA and struck out 24% of his opponents in 118 2/3 innings that year, including a minuscule 2.41 ERA after installing his new breaking ball. The strong results continued through 2022, and Lauer posted a combined 3.47 ERA in 277 1/3 frames across two seasons, striking out 23.8% of his opponents against an 8.7% walk rate.

Lauer’s 2022 season was cut short by a shoulder problem, however, and he battled shoulder and elbow problems the following year. The lefty saw his average fastball drop from 93.3 mph in 2022 to 91.2 mph in 2023. In 46 2/3 major league frames, he was tattooed with a 6.56 ERA as his K/BB rates both went in the wrong direction. The Brewers sent him to Triple-A Nashville in an attempt to rehabilitate him, but Lauer continued to struggle as he posted a 5.15 ERA there and never returned to the majors.

Lauer obviously hasn’t regained his 2021-22 form in Triple-A this season, but he’ll aim to do so down the KBO with a Kia team that currently sports the league’s best record at 60-41. It’s possible that a big overseas showing could lead to interest from MLB clubs this winter, but it could also open up an opportunity for Lauer to re-sign with the Tigers for the 2025 campaign. He’ll sit out next season at age 30, and if he can return to form in 2021-22 or reinvent himself with new offerings (a la la Erick Fedde), an extra year in the KBO could put him back on the big league radar.