Former Boston Red Sox top prospect Jeter Downs is getting another opportunity in the big leagues, this time in the NL with the Washington Nationals. They claimed the infielder off outright waivers on Thursday, per MASN Sports.
Downs was once one of the top prospects in baseball but when the Red Sox signed Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida last week, they cut ties with the youngster. A 2017 first-round pick, this is now his fourth organization. Downs was nabbed by the Cincinnati Reds but then got traded as part of the Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig blockbuster between the Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers. After that, Downs was included in the Mookie Betts trade, too, sending him to Beantown.
Jeter Downs showed a lot of promise in the minors both in the field and at the dish, but in the big leagues, he's struggled. In 39 at-bats last season, he hit just .154 with 21 strikeouts. A lot of young players take time to get used to MLB arms but the Red Sox clearly didn't like what they saw.
For a Nats team in a rebuild, this is certainly a decent move. He can play all over the infield with the exception of first base, which is basically just a waste of his athleticism. Washington also got CJ Abrams from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto trade, who plays a tremendous shortstop. It feels likely Downs get a chance at second base and possibly even as the backup SS to Abrams in Spring Training.
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