SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres have signed left-hander Aaron Loup to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2020 season, Executive Vice President/General Manager A.J. Preller announced today. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Padres transferred right-hander Garrett Richards to the 60-day Injured List.
 
In 59 relief appearances between the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies last season, Loup posted a 4.54 ERA (20 ER, 39.2 IP) with a 3.61 FIP (FanGraphs) and 9.98 SO/9.0 IP ratio (44 strikeouts). He held left-handers to a .268 average and .341 slugging percentage with no home runs allowed.
 
A seven-year Major League veteran, Loup has posted a 3.49 ERA (125 ER, 322.2 IP) with a ground ball rate of 55.7%, 1.27 WHIP, 299 strikeouts and just 99 walks in 378 career games. He allowed only 26.6% of inherited runners to score with the Blue Jays from 2012-18 (237 IR, 63 scored), which was the 10th-lowest mark among all American League relievers over that stretch. The Raceland, La. native was originally selected by Toronto in the ninth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Tulane University.
 
Loup will wear No. 38.