Report: New York Mets Offered Aaron Loup Contract in Free Agency
The New York Mets had a fantastic offseason, adding the likes of Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha in free agency, while trading for Chris Bassitt.
But the one player they let walk, who seemed like a must re-sign at the time, was lefty relief pitcher Aaron Loup, who posted a historic 0.95 ERA a season ago in Queens. However, Loup bolted for the Los Angeles Angels, landing a two-year, $17 million deal, which includes a $7.5 million option in 2024 or a $2.5 million buyout.
As it turns out, the Mets offered Loup a contract and weren't far off from retaining him, according to SNY's Andy Martino. But the 34-year-old chose Los Angeles for a few reasons: the Angels' aggressive pursuit of him, and New York's transitional phase in their front office.
“They had a lot going on front office-wise and all that, that they had to get figured out,” Loup told Martino. “And I signed pretty early.”
Loup enjoyed his time during his lone season with the Mets, which is why he attempted to stall until New York was able to enter negotiations, given they were in the process of hiring general manager Billy Eppler. In the end, Loup acknowledged that the money from the Angels was too good to pass up.
“We tried to stall the Angels as long as we could,” Loup said. “They were like, ‘Hey, we want you.’ Basically giving me everything we asked for to get me. I was like, we know the Mets are interested, and they wanted to be in on the negotiations. We kind of stalled and stalled to try to get ‘em in, get ‘em in, get ‘em in. When they finally did, they weren’t going to match.”
As Loup revealed, the Mets offered a two-year deal, ranging between $12-12.5 million.
The southpaw has a 4.82 ERA in 21 appearances for the Angels this year.
Read More:
- Should New York Mets Take Flier on Dallas Keuchel?
- Francisco Lindor Wins NL Player of Week
- Ex-Mets Manager Mickey Callaway Fired by Mexican League Team
Follow Pat Ragazzo on Twitter (@ragazzoreport), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
