Chris Lazar's time with the Barrie Baycats has come to an end in the middle of a rough first half of the 2025 season after being released Tuesday.
Lazar and the Baycats mutually parted ways following Sunday's 7-3 loss to Guelph in which Lazar pitched 1.2 innings, allowing two earned runs and walking five.
This was Lazar's eighth year in the IBL and second year with the Baycats, having won his first IBL championship with the team in 2024.
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STATISTICS
| Year | Team | GP/GS | IP | W | L | SV | K/BB | H | ERA | OAVG | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |  | 8/1 | 19.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9/6 | 20 | 5.03 | .298 | 1.580 |
| 2025 | | 7/0 | 10.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9/7 | 25 | 10.80 | .408 | 2.700 |
| CAREER | 3 TEAMS | 80/46 | 334.2 | 20 | 23 | 0 | 197/83 | 452 | 5.89 | .253 | 1.605 |
Lazar's IBL career began in Hamilton, where much of his success in the league came. He was a first-team All-IBL selection in 2017 and 2019, and a second-team selection in 2018.
2019 was his best season, claiming the IBL Pitcher of the Year award after finishing the season 7-3 with a 2.21 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 51 innings.
Welland acquired him during the 2022 season, but he missed all of 2023 with a torn labrum. It was a nagging issue that he pitched through toward the end of his time with the Jackfish.
During his injury recovery in 2023 he hosted an IBL discussion podcast, "Inside Intercounty," before signing with Barrie ahead of the 2024 season.
He settled into the bullpen that year, and got his first IBL win in nearly two years on June 26 of that season against Brantford. The emotional victory proved to him that he still belonged in the league.
Playing for the 2024 championship team, he delivered in two playoff outings, highlighted by a scoreless relief inning in game two of the IBL Finals in Guelph. The series marked his first—and to date, only—appearance in the finals.
This year, Lazar entered the season feeling the most healthy he'd been in a long time, and knew his role as a left-handed reliever.
Through his seven appearances he alternated between scoreless appearances and allowing multiple runs. He was still a reliable arm for the team despite the inflated ERA and walk totals reminiscent of his first two seasons in the league.
His release leaves just three left-handers on the roster: Frank Garcés, Ethan Morris, and Braeden Pakkala.
COMING UP
Barrie (13-10) will face the Brantford Red Sox (6-18) on the road in the first game of a home-and-home series. Garcés (2-2, 3.27 ERA) will start for the Baycats. Brantford has not yet named a starter.
