Veteran MLB outfielder elects free agency

The San Francisco Giants announced that Darin Ruf has cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A (hat tip to MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado).  Ruf was designated for assignment earlier in the week and due to his Major League service time, he was eligible to reject the outright assignment and re-enter the open market.

Ruf’s second stint in San Francisco began when the New York Mets released him in early April. He subsequently rejoined the Giants on a minor league deal.  While Ruf was pretty quickly selected onto their big league roster, the veteran only appeared in nine games before being placed on the 10-day injured list due to right wrist inflammation.  The Giants activated him from the injured list on the same day of his being designated for assignment.

Though in a brief sample size of 27 plate appearances this season, Ruf hit a respectable .261/.370/.348, mostly in his usual role against left-handed pitching.  He has mashed southpaws for a good part of his nine MLB seasons. Between these splits and his ability to chip in as a first baseman and corner outfielder, there stands a pretty good chance that Ruf can catch on with another team.  Even with the Giants’ love of platooning and matchups, their roster is crowded enough that Ruf apparently did not want to wait in Triple-A for another opportunity to open up.

Ruf’s return to free agency does not impact his salary, as the Mets are still responsible for the bulk of the $3.5M he is owed for the 2023 season.  A new team will only have to pay Ruf the prorated portion of the minimum Major League salary, as the Giants did during his short time on their roster.