The New York Yankees made a move for a shortstop named Jeter on Tuesday.
However, the Jeter that the Yankees have added to their organization is not the Derek Jeter that fans hoped for. Instead, they claimed infielder Jeter Downs off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
Earlier today, the Yankees claimed INF Jeter Downs off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) December 19, 2023
The 25-year-old Downs is a Columbian native who the Cincinnati Reds selected with the No. 32 overall selection in the 2017 MLB Draft. The former top prospect was later part of a blockbuster deal, along with Homer Bailey and Josiah Gray, in exchange for Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, Kyle Farmer, and cash considerations.
More than a year later, Los Angeles would trade Downs, Alex Verdugo and Connor Wong to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Mookie Betts, David Price and cash considerations. At the time of the trade, Downs was considered by many prospect outlets to be one of the best players in Boston’s farm system. Unfortunately, that never materialized on the field.
Downs reached the Majors in 2022 and was later designated for assignment by the Red Sox. The Nationals claimed him, though; he appeared in just six games for Washington, going 2-for-5 (.400) with one RBI, two stolen bases and four walks. He was DFA’d a week ago Tuesday and has since found himself in pinstripes.
Downs is a career .182 hitter with a home run and five RBIs at the MLB level. This move likely places him on New York’s 40-man roster, so it remains to be seen what his role will be with his new ballclub.
