On Tuesday, the New York Yankees announced that infielder Jeter Downs will leave the team to join Japan’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hanks, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Downs, 25, was once a former top prospect, having been selected 32nd overall by the Cincinnati Reds in 2017. His time in the minor leagues saw him play for two organizations as part of a major trade. The first was when Downs went to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven-player trade. The Yankees had two of the three players that went to Boston in that deal, including Alex Verdugo leaving the Boston Red Sox with Connor Wong.
The Yankees have released infielder Jeter Downs. Downs has signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 30, 2024
Jeter Downs Released by Yankees
Downs did not live up to the prospect hype. Over the past three years in the minor leagues, he hit .200/.309/.365 for a wRC+ of 80. The Red Sox put him on waivers in 2023, with the Washington Nationals claiming him for a brief period. A shortstop, third baseman and second baseman, Downs appeared in six games for Washington hitting .400 with two stolen bases. He was designated for assignment in December.
Downs spent most of the 2023 season in the minors, batting .222 with three home runs, 20 RBI and 11 steals in 60 combined games with Triple-A Rochester, the FCL Nationals and High-A Wilmington. Born three years after Derek Jeter‘s debut, Downs has said that he was named after Jeter by his mother.
Aside from Downs’ release, the Yankees have been active in just about every facet of the trade market. They landed Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins and will look to add more. Among the club’s targets are infielder Yandy Diaz and pitchers Blake Snell and Jack Flaherty. Adding some infield help only makes sense for the Yankees as veterans Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu have struggled all season.
Main Photo: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
