Mets fans criticize club as Darin Ruf experiment ends in DFA: "Billy Eppler has egg on his face"

The New York Mets have had it with their Darin Ruf experiment and have designated the veteran outfielder for assignment, Joel Sherman of the NY Post reported.

Many Mets fans view Ruf's trade as easily one of their worst front office moves of 2022 as Ruf only managed to hit .152/.216/.197 with zero home runs and three doubles for the organization after they traded him from the San Francisco Giants.

Ruf hit a dismal under .200 and did not have a single homer all spring as his struggles continued.

This move, however, all but guarantees a debut for outfielder and former New York Yankees man Tim Locastro as he makes the opening day roster.

Mets fans swarmed Twitter to bid adieu to Darin Ruf, who's had a torrid first year with the organization.

The New York Mets traded for Ruf at the trade deadline last August for four of their very own, J.D. Davis, and pitching prospects Carson Seymour, Thomas Szapucki and Nick Zwack. Surely they must be regretting it now.

Ruf surely has, especially after only managing to hit under .200 all spring, with no home runs to count for either.

Darin Ruf had a decently successful stint with the Giants

Ruf signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants on Jan. 23, 2020, and made the team's opening day roster. He batted .276/.370/.517 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 87 at-bats over 40 games in his first season.

The Giants extended Ruf's deal through a one-year arbitration on a $1.275 million deal for the 2021 season. During the 2021 regular season, he batted .271/.385/.519 with 16 home runs and 43 RBIs in 262 at-bats.

Ruf signed a two-year, $6.25 million contract with the Giants, avoiding salary arbitration in March 2022.

About the author

Nikhil is a tennis journalist at Sportskeeda and has six years of experience as a working professional. He has been playing the sport for almost two decades and has been a national-level player. He was ranked as high as 162 on AITA and 43 on the TNTA charts.

Nikhil believes that authenticity is the hallmark of good writing and strives to achieve it everyday when he gets in front of the desk. To get the information out in the best possible manner, he believes looks at multiple authentic sources while researching on the topic. He watches the sport ardently while also following it on social media platforms.

Nikhil considers Roger Federer to be the best player to have graced the sport and fell in love with the Swiss at first sight in 2006. He rates Wimbledon at the top among all other events on the tennis calendar due to Federer’s dominance on the grass court and the Major's charm and aura.

As for the ever-ongoing GOAT debate, Nikhil feels that both Federer and Rafael Nadal deserve the title as apart from being extraordinary tennis players, they are also exemplary all-round human beings.

Additionally, Nikhil’s hobbies include skating, cooking, and reading.

Know More