On deadline day last year, the New York Mets acquired designated hitter Darin Ruf from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for J.D. Davis, Carson Seymour, Nick Zwack and Thomas Szapucki.
Ruf had an OPS around .900 combining his 2020 and 2021 performance with the Giants, although he was struggling a bit at the time of the trade with a .701 mark.
His performance with the Mets was monumentally bad: he had a .413 OPS in 74 trips to the plate.
Injuries and a lack of performance both in 2022 and in the 2023 spring training cost him his roster spot with the Mets.
He was designated for assignment on Monday as the Mets completed their Opening Day roster.
Fans may have been harsh with Ruf, but there was no hard feelings from manager Buck Showalter and the Mets’ front office towards Ruf.
“Buck Showalter called the Darin Ruf DFA ‘probably one of the toughest conversations I’ve had here.’ ‘It was a hard decision, and I applaud Billy [Eppler] and everyone that figured into it, ownership,’ Showalter said, adding that it’s ‘what’s best’ for both the Mets and Ruf,” Mets insider Anthony DiComo tweeted after chatting with the skipper.
Buck Showalter called the Darin Ruf DFA "probably one of the toughest conversations I've had here."
"It was a hard decision, and I applaud Billy [Eppler] and everyone that figured into it, ownership," Showalter said, adding that it's "what's best" for both the Mets and Ruf.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 27, 2023
The Mets decided to go forward without the slugger.
He was acquired to be a lefty-masher for New York last year, but it just didn’t pan out.
It’s baseball: these things happen.
He wasn’t the first slugger to fall short of expectations and he surely won’t be the last.
The 36-year-old will try to find another MLB opportunity.
He should be able to get one, but if he can’t, a minor league deal could be in play.
NEXT: Fans React To Today's Darin Ruf News
