Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are looking into the possibility of trading veteran utility player Darin Ruf this offseason, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post.

Ruf is under contract for the 2023 season but he will earn just $3 million, which makes him ideal trade bait and his cost-effective contract can easily be absorbed. As a result, the Mets are now exploring potential trades for the veteran as they continue to shape their roster for next year.

With the Mets needing help at the designated hitter position, general manager Billy Eppler went out and acquired Ruf at the trade deadline last year. It was a steep price to pay with the team giving up J.D. Davis and pitching prospects Thomas Szapucki, Carson Seymour, and Nick Zwack to the San Francisco Giants for Ruf.

Ruf was acquired mainly for his ability to absolutely mash against lefties and he was hitting .216/.328/.373 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs for the Giants prior to the trade. A career .272/.367/.523/.891 hitter against lefties, Ruf formed a platoon at DH with Daniel Vogelbach but it was an experiment that failed badly. Ruf was mired in an offensive slump for all of his time in Queens and he failed to hit a single home run.

Reports have already suggested that the Mets are looking at internal options to solve their DH problem in 2023. Phenom prospect Francisco Álvarez figures to be one of the leading contenders, while Brett Baty and Mark Vientos could also fill that role along with Vogelbach who will be back for the 2023 season.

As a result, it is no surprise that Ruf is potentially being shopped with his veteran presence, big league experience and ability to play a number of different positions attractive qualities for a number of teams. For the Mets, it would free up some salary and it would also free up a roster spot and maybe clear the path for a talented young player such as Álvarez, Baty or Vientos to make a real impact in the majors in 2023.