Eric Lauer is a free agent after the Dodgers' NLCS sweep, and the former Blue Jays lefty could be a sneaky fit back in Toronto.

The Brewers finished off Los Angeles on Thursday with a 6-4 win at Dodger Stadium, sending the two-time defending champs home.

Lauer didn't factor in. He hasn't pitched since Sept. 1, and MLB.com noted he was ineligible to be activated from the IL before the season ended.

His 2026 was rough overall. Between Toronto and Los Angeles, he went 8-7 with a 5.23 ERA across 22 games, 18 of them starts.

The Jays traded him to the Dodgers for cash on May 17 after a slow start.

That's a far cry from 2025. He went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 28 games for Toronto and was part of the World Series run.

Toronto's lefty shortage makes an Eric Lauer reunion worth a look

That was the best season of his career. A 2016 first-round pick, he'd spent two years with the Padres and four with the Brewers before landing in Toronto.

Why would the Jays care now? Because they badly need left-handed arms behind Mason Fluharty, and Lauer can start or relieve.

The 40-man roster has just three other lefties in Brendan Cellucci, Ricky Tiedemann and Brendon Little.

Bring him back on a minor league deal with an invite to camp. The injury lowers his price, and the 2025 version showed exactly what he can do in a Jays uniform.

It's like rehiring a former employee who had one great year and one bad one. You know the upside, you know the risk, and you don't overpay for either.

The health question comes first. He's 31 and hasn't thrown a pitch since the start of September.

The irony isn't lost, either. His old Brewers just knocked off his Dodgers to reach the World Series.

His market will depend on the medicals. If they check out, Ross Atkins could land a swingman lefty for a fraction of what the top free-agent relievers will cost.