Blue Jays claim Casey Lawrence off waivers from Seattle

The Bisons modern era strikeout king has returned to the Blue Jays organization after Toronto claimed RHP Casey Lawrence off waivers from Seattle on Monday afternoon.

Lawrence, 37, has appeared in four games with Seattle this season, posting a 3.60 ERA over 10.0 innings. The 6-0, 180 lb. right-hander rejoins the Blue Jays, having pitched in a combined 10 MLB games for the organization between 2017 and 2022.

No Bisons pitcher in the modern era has more strikeouts than the 323 Lawrence racked up with the Herd over parts of seven seasons. In 82 career games with Buffalo (71 starts), the righty was 25-22 with a 3.89 ERA and three complete games. During the 2022 season, Lawrence was one of if not the best pitcher in Triple-A, posting a 2.79 ERA that was almost a half run better than any other Triple-A pitcher. He also led all Triple-A pitchers that season with a 0.89 WHIP, .2 better than any other pitcher.

For the 2022 season, Lawrence was 9-5 with 106 strikeouts to only 95 hits allowed in 126.0 innings. Along with leading all Bisons pitchers in the modern era in strikeouts, he ranks 6^th in wins (25), 4^th in innings pitched (389.0), and 11^th in WHIP (1.18). He was the Bisons 2022 Warren Spahn Most Valuable Pitcher as well as the team's 2016 Comeback Player of the Year, posting a 3.83 ERA in 15 starts during that campaign with the Herd.