The Blue Jays have designated lefty Aaron Loup for assignment, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets. The move clears space on the Jays’ active roster for righty Bo Schultz, and it likely also creates room on the 40-man for Dioner Navarro, who was recently also acquired via trade.
Loup was once a fixture in the Jays’ bullpen, with a series of mostly successful seasons from 2012 through 2015, but he struggled with an elbow injury to start the 2016 season and hasn’t really made his way back, pitching just 9 2/3 innings in the big leagues this year and allowing eight runs while throwing markedly slower than he had in the past — his average fastball came in at 93.2 MPH last season, and this year it’s down all the way to 90.7 MPH. (He struck out 11 and walked only two in those 9 2/3 innings, however, and pitched very well for Triple-A Buffalo.) Loup was due to be eligible for arbitration after the season after making $1.05MM this year, and the Jays might have figured that if they didn’t plan to tender him, there would be little risk in designating him for assignment now.
good
Send Cecil with him
Agreed. I have no use for him. It’s an instant loss when he hits the mound.
Loup is a good pitcher against lefty hitters but it’s Gibbons fault for putting him in against righties where he ends up getting dinged. He’s a lefty specialist.
Sorry but you’re incorrect. His numbers are pretty even left vs right last season and this. Back when he was good (2012-14) he did have much better numbers vs lefties. Not anymore.
He only stays in against rights when the bull en is taxes. Ala yesterday’s game.