The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to build on their surge to the top of the American League East division with a blockbuster reinforcement for the rotation. But adding the new arm will mean a harsh transition for another standout contributor.
The Blue Jays acquired former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade deadline move. And now that Bieber has completed a rehab stint, he will make his debut for his new team on Friday.
To make room for him, the Blue Jays are relegating Eric Lauer to the bullpen despite his rising status as one of the team's best pitchers. Lauer has a 2.76 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 88 innings so far this year. He leads all of the team's pitchers with a 2.7 WAR.
After making the decision to move Lauer to the bullpen, manager John Sc