Report: Pirates add Lauer on minors deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates and left-hander Eric Lauer agreed to a minor-league contract, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Lauer posted a 6.56 ERA with 1.67 WHIP and 43 strikeouts over 46 2/3 innings (nine starts) during the worst season of his six-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023.

However, the 28-year-old authored a 3.47 ERA with 8.9 K/9 across a combined 277 1/3 innings (49 starts) for the Brewers between 2021-22.

Lauer will have an opportunity to compete for a spot in a rotation that already includes Mitch Keller, Martín Pérez, Marco Gonzales, and Luis Ortiz.