The Mets need to re-sign Aaron Loup
Re-signing Aaron Loup is a must for the Mets. There’s no excuse. Nobody is going to make him the richest reliever in MLB history. Chances are, nobody makes him their closer or gives him a private island. Loup was as perfect as you can expect a reliever to be for the team in 2021. Mutual interest should keep him in Flushing for another year or more.
I don’t expect Loup to do anything close to what he did in 2021 with the team. Things just seemed to always go his way. For as much criticism as Luis Rojas got for his bullpen management, he seemed to use Loup in the best possible opportunities. The numbers defend this.
Loup was the main lefty the Mets had in their bullpen throughout the year. Until Brad Hand arrived in early September, he was the lone wolf for those big outs versus lefty hitters. Hand is a consideration for next year’s club, but he’s one of two arms I would take or leave for the 2022 roster.
Another successful reliever in 2022, Jeurys Familia, is a consideration but not the second move the Mets need to make to have a deadly bullpen. I think it’s time to move on from Familia. The club needs some fresh blood and a little more control with the final piece to the puzzle.