Left-hander Eric Lawer, who once danced the 'Pikki Pikki' with 'Former KIA', is suddenly traded from Toronto to the Dodgers! The move bolsters the Dodgers' mound depth with 'Lotte-born' Barnes and addresses the 'tragic injury history' of the pitching staff.

*This content was translated by AI.

Left-hander Eric Lawer (31), a member of the 2024 KBO League KIA Tigers team that secured the championship and left a strong impression by dancing the 'Pikki Pikki' with fans, will now wear the LA Dodgers uniform.

The LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays announced on the 18th (Korea time) that "the Dodgers acquired left-hander Eric Lawer from Toronto in a trade for cash." Lawer is expected to join the team ahead of the Dodgers' upcoming three-game road series against the San Diego Padres.

According to the U.S. sports specialty outlet The Athletic, the Dodgers rushed to acquire Lawer mid-season due to a severe injury crisis that has plagued the mound. Currently, the Dodgers have lost a large number of key players from both their starting rotation and bullpen.

In the starting rotation, Tyler Glasnow was placed on the 15th-day injured list (IL) on the 8th due to a back spasm, and Blake Snell also left to undergo surgery to remove bone fragments from his elbow. Additionally, Jack Drayer, who had been serving as the team's most reliable left-handed relief pitcher with a 2.08 ERA in 20 games, was also placed on the IL due to shoulder inflammation.

The Dodgers plan to deepen their mound depth by utilizing Lawer alongside left-hander Charlie Barnes, a former KBO League Lotte Giants player, as a versatile long reliever and temporary starter. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated, "We will not rule out the possibility of using Lawer as a temporary starter if necessary."

Meanwhile, to secure a spot on the 40th-man roster for Lawer, the Dodgers moved right-hander Bruceder Graterol to the 60th-day injured list. Graterol, who was undergoing rehabilitation in the minor league Triple-A, is reported to have suffered a recurrence of a back injury, causing significant delays in his return schedule.

For Lawer, this trade is a golden opportunity to turn his fortunes around. After finishing the 2024 season, Lawer signed a minor league contract with Toronto and successfully made his way back to the major leagues. In particular, during the 2025 season, he appeared in 28 regular-season games (15 starts), posting a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA, playing a key role in Toronto's playoff qualification and making a brilliant comeback.

However, the early momentum of the 2026 season was not favorable. He appeared in 8 games (6 starts) this season, struggling with a 1-5 record and a 6.69 ERA. In particular, he allowed 11 home runs over 36 1/3 innings, resulting in a relatively high number of home runs surrendered. Ultimately, after being designated for assignment (DFA) by Toronto on May 12, he was called up by the Dodgers, who urgently needed to bolster their pitching staff.

For domestic baseball fans, Lawer is actually a familiar name. He joined the KIA Tigers as a replacement for Will Crowe, who was sidelined due to injury in August 2024. In 7 regular-season games, he recorded a 2-2 record with a 4.93 ERA. Although his performance was not overwhelming, he consistently worked through the rotation and played a key role as a starter in the Korean Series, contributing to KIA's 12th overall championship. Despite his contribution to the title, Lawer unfortunately failed to re-sign with KIA. KIA brought in Adam Oller (32) instead of Lawer.

In particular, his image of wearing a tiger headband after clinching the championship, smiling brightly with teammates, and dancing the 'Pikki Pikki'—the KBO League's biggest hit product—remains a memorable scene among domestic fans. Although he failed to re-sign with KIA and returned to the U.S., attention from baseball fans in both Korea and the U.S. is focused on whether he can revive as a relief pitcher for the prestigious major league club, the Dodgers, as a 'pro-Korea' foreign investor.

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*This content was translated by AI.