Yankees give Red Sox fans another reminder of blundered blockbuster trade
The New York Yankees claimed infielder Jeter Downs off waivers from the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
The seemingly minor move puts the 25-year-old in position to become the second "Jeter" to don the pinstripes. The transaction also allows the Bronx Bombers to remind their rival the Boston Red Sox (for the second time this month) of a particularly blundered blockbuster trade involving former AL MVP Mookie Betts from nearly four years ago.
As New York Times senior sports editor Benjamin Hoffman notes, the Yankees now have two of the three players who the Red Sox acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020, when they sent Betts, former AL Cy Young award winner David Price and cash considerations out west. Before Tuesday's news, Boston traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to New York on Dec. 5.
Downs was named after Yankees Hall of Fame shortstop and former captain Derek Jeter. The native of Colombia was selected late in the first round of the 2017 draft by the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to the Dodgers in December 2018 as part of a seven-player deal that included former All-Stars Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood and Matt Kemp, among others.
Downs was once one of the most highly touted prospects in the Red Sox minor league system but after debuting with Boston in June 2022, he struggled mightily over 14 games and was designated for assignment last December.
He was soon claimed off waivers by the Nationals but played just six games with the big club in 2023. Washington designated Downs for assignment last week before New York picked him up on Tuesday.
In four seasons with the Red Sox, Verdugo recorded 43 home runs and 206 RBI with a .281/.338/.424 slash line over 493 regular season games. Since making the big leagues in 2021, catcher Connor Wong has registered 10 home runs, 44 RBI and slashed .231/.288/.382 across 159 contests.
Betts, on the other hand, has continued to craft a Hall of Fame career.
Since joining Los Angeles, the 31-year-old has a pair of NL MVP runner-up finishes, two Gold Gloves, three Silver Slugger Awards and three All-Star honors, as well as a 2020 World Series ring. Price opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and went 7-2 across 79 games (11 starts) with Los Angeles in 2021 and 2022. He didn't pitch in 2023.
Tuesday's news on Downs is nowhere near as important as the team's recent trade for All-Star outfielder Juan Soto, but Yankees fans will take any chance to rub it in the faces of their rivals in Beantown.
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