5 Mets trade deadline candidates we should already keep our eyes on

4) New York Mets trade deadline candidate, relief pitcher Aaron Loup

Mets fans saw Aaron Loup put together one of the greatest seasons a Mets reliever ever had in 2021. He threw 56.2 innings and allowed just six earned runs that season, and it netted him a two-year contract with the Angels with a team option for 2024. Loup was the first free agent pitcher to sign a multi-year contract with the Angels since Joe Blanton signed a two-year pact before the 2013 season.

His numbers regressed much closer to the norm last year (3.84 ERA in 58.2 innings pitched), but he is still an above average reliever.

I wrote yesterday on the pros and cons of David Peterson as a reliable left-handed reliever, and the Mets may still have to acquire a second lefty reliever to combat some of the best left-handed hitters in the sport, who happen to reside with division rivals, like Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, and Kyle Schwarber. Loup’s big success with the Mets came by recording key outs against the other team’s best lefty hitter in high-leverage situations.

The Mets only have four left-handed pitchers among their 21 hurlers on the 40-man roster as of now: Peterson, Brooks Raley, Jose Quintana, and Joey Lucchesi.

If Brooks Raley somehow doesn’t work, Loup is a good option to fill in, and Mets fans saw what he could do during his one-year stint in Flushing two years ago.