Eric Lauer’s recent comments about communication within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization have drawn attention for the quiet contrast they draw with his earlier experience with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The left-handed pitcher, now thriving after a midseason move, made clear that the way the Dodgers handled potential trade discussions stood out from anything he had encountered before.
Speaking after the trade deadline, Lauer described how openly the Dodgers kept him informed.
“They had been pretty open with me communication-wise about what they were thinking, what I was thinking,” Lauer said. “I expressed to them that I wanted to be a Dodger. So, I think they took that to heart. I think it’s very rare. I’ve never been given this option. I’ve never been told this much about what was going on. So, it’s just another testament to the communication here. It’s top of the line, really.”
Those words carry extra weight because of what preceded them. Lauer began the year with the Blue Jays after a solid previous season in their rotation. When injuries healed and the club added other arms, his role shifted.
Toronto experimented with an opener in front of him, a move that disrupted the routine he preferred as a starter. At the time he did not hide his feelings.
“It’s definitely different,” Lauer said. “To be really blunt, I hate it. I can’t stand it. You work with what you got. Part of it, too, we’re trying to mix some things up. We’re trying to find ways to win. It’s a game plan we had, and I think we went out there and tried to execute it the best we could. That’s really all you can do. You can make it work the best you can. It’s just, hopefully it’s not something that we will continue doing. But you know, that’s above my pay grade.”
The public airing of that frustration prompted a firm response from manager John Schneider, who stressed that role decisions rest with the coaching staff and that players should bring concerns privately rather than to the media.
Lauer’s results in Toronto reflected the rocky stretch: a 1-5 record and 6.69 ERA across eight appearances.
Since joining the Dodgers he has looked like a different pitcher, posting a 5-1 mark and 3.72 ERA in ten games, nine of them starts. The improved performance, combined with the organization’s willingness to keep him informed during deadline chatter, appears to have reinforced his desire to remain in Los Angeles.
By praising the Dodgers’ transparency so directly, Lauer offered an implicit comparison to the more limited dialogue he experienced earlier in the season.
The contrast underscores how differently two clubs can approach player communication, and how clearly a veteran notices the difference once he finds himself in a more open environment.
