5 former Mets player fan favorites without a job as spring training nears

Aaron Loup remains a free agent

Some Mets become popular because of who they are. Others do it with their performance. Aaron Loup was a guy who had one of the most memorable seasons on the mound for a middle reliever back in 2021.

Loup appeared in 65 games and in those 56.2 innings of work put together a 6-0 record while recording a 0.95 ERA. A lefty reliever no one had huge expectations for came to New York and dominated in his role. We haven’t forgotten it either.

It’s a shame the 2021 Mets collapsed because Loup was practically invincible in September. He didn’t give up a single earned run. In fact, he surrendered just one run altogether in the second half of the season.

The Mets, not thinking he’d be this great, signed him to only a one-year deal. He capitalized on the big season and parlayed it into a two-year $15 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He signed before the lockout began and the Mets were then left searching for a replacement.

Loup’s time with the Angels wasn’t nearly as successful. A 3.84 ERA in 2022 followed by a 6.10 ERA performance in 2023 is the likely cause as to why he’s still out there searching for a job.