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Red Sox

Downs, 24, struggled in Triple-A Worcester over the last couple seasons.

Jeter Downs struggled during his time with the Red Sox.

The Red Sox are cutting ties with one of the three players they received in the infamous Mookie Betts trade.

Shortstop Jeter Downs was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Thursday. The move coincided with the announcement that the team signed Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year deal.

Downs, 24, was the top prospect the Red Sox received in the February 2020 trade for Betts. MLB.com ranked Downs as the 44th best prospect in baseball at the time of the trade.

Not long after the trade went down, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the minor league baseball season was shut down in 2020. Downs began the 2021 season with Triple-A Worcester despite playing just 12 games in Double-A in the Dodgers’ organization in 2019.

Downs struggled at the plate in his two seasons with the WooSox, hitting .193 with a .661 OPS to go along with 30 homers and 72 RBIs.

Downs made his MLB debut in June as the Red Sox struggled with injuries in the midst of their last-place season in 2022. He had a couple of bright spots with the Red Sox, recording a hit and an RBI before scoring the game-winning run in a July game against the Yankees. A week later, Downs hit his first MLB home run at Yankee Stadium.

But Downs’ Triple-A struggles continued in the majors for the most part. He hit .154 with a .427 OPS to go along with a home run and four RBIs in 14 games.

Along with Downs, the Red Sox also received outfielder Alex Verdugo and catcher Connor Wong in the trade for Betts. Verdugo’s been a solid player for the Red Sox, hitting .288 with a .768 OPS, 30 homers, and 152 RBIs over three seasons. Wong has played in only 33 games with the Red Sox, hitting .213 over those games.



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