Mets release veteran utilityman Darin Ruf

The Mets have released infielder/outfielder Darin Ruf, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment a week ago when the club selected Tommy Hunter to the roster.

Ruf, 36, came over to the Mets in a deadline deal last year. Unfortunately, that deal went south fairly quickly, as he hit just .152/.216/.197 in 29 games with the club down the stretch. He stuck on the roster all winter but then his struggles continued into the spring, as he hit .167/.265/.233 in Grapefruit League action. The club added Tommy Pham over the winter to help take over Ruf’s role as a right-handed hitting role player and Ruf was cut from the roster prior to Opening Day.

Ruf will now be free to sign with any of the other 29 clubs around the league. Despite his recent struggles, he should garner some interest based on his past work. 

After a successful three-year stretch in Korea from 2017-19, Ruf returned to North America and hit very well with the Giants. In 2020 and 2021, he hit .272/.381/.519 for a wRC+ of 142. That latter figure was one of the 15 best in the majors in that time period among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances.

Based on that excellent showing, the Giants signed him to an extension going into 2022. The two-year deal paid him $3M in each of 2022 and 2023, with a $3.5M option for 2024 that comes with a $250K buyout. The club struggled last year and flipped Ruf to the Mets in a deal that now looks awful for the latter club. They sent infielder J.D. Davis, left-hander Thomas Szapucki and a couple of prospects to San Francisco, only to see Ruf slump badly for a few months before now getting sent away for nothing.

The Mets have had the past week to try to work out a trade for Ruf or get him claimed on waivers, but a release always seemed the most likely path forward. He’s still owed the $3M salary for this year and $250K buyout on next year’s option. Any acquiring team would have been responsible for that money, and it’s unsurprising none of them were willing to do so with Ruf’s recent performance. The Mets will remain on the hook for that, allowing any other club to add Ruf for the prorated league minimum for any time spent on their roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Mets pay.

Ruf’s aforementioned strong run in 2020 and 2021 should intrigue some clubs. He also wasn’t bad prior to the trade last year, hitting .216/.328/.373 for a wRC+ of 104. He also might interest teams that are especially concerned about their production against lefties, as that is Ruf’s specialty. He has a career .272/.367/.523 batting line against southpaws for a wRC+ of 143, compared to a .216/.300/.365 line and 86 wRC+ against righties. Even amid last year’s struggles, he still hit .222/.322/.430 with the platoon advantage for a wRC+ of 116.