Jeter

Downs

thought he had given Nicaragua the lead earlier in the game, launching a towering drive to left that died just short of the wall. A couple innings later, he removed the ambiguity, crushing a 397-foot blast that left no doubt and put Nicaragua ahead. Unfortunately, the lead wouldn’t hold up as the Netherlands rallied for a walk-off victory. The 27-year-old former top prospect — one of the centerpiece returns in the Mookie Betts trade earlier this decade — hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2023, spending the last two seasons with the SoftBank Hawks in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Careers rarely unfold in straight lines, and Downs’ path has bent more than most — but for one swing on Saturday, the narrative felt momentarily uncomplicated.

Downs is signing with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan. The 26-year-old is a former top prospect that has slashed 264/.360/.498 with 10 homers and 15 stolen bases over 69 contests with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Downs, 25, actually had a shot at earning a reserve role on the team’s Opening Day roster with a strong showing in Grapefruit League action. He was off to a slow start though, hitting just .231 (3-for-13) with a pair of doubles and three RBI. He’ll continue to function as extra depth at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to open the season.

Peraza entered last year’s spring training as the favorite to win the Yankees starting shortstop job but lost out to Anthony Volpe, who had a tremendous spring. Since then, Peraza shifted to playing third base, where he certainly has the arm to stick, but the bat has not been consistent in the majors so far. Something Aaron Boone mentioned. “He has ability and the tools to do it. It’s that last step that can be challenging. Triple A is one thing. Doing it on a consistent basis at the big leagues is another layer.” Boone mentioned that Peraza was battling with Oswaldo Cabrera, Kevin Smith, Jeter Downs, Jorbit Vivas, and Josh VanMeter for the final infield spot on the Opening Day roster.

Downs predictably passed through waivers unclaimed and will remain with New York as extra organizational infield depth. The 25-year-old former top prospect simply hasn’t hit at the highest level, registering a .533 OPS across 50 plate appearances in the big leagues.

Unfortunately, Downs’ stint on New York’s roster appears to be over before ever putting on a Yankees uniform. There’s always the possibility he goes unclaimed on waivers and sticks around as extra organizational depth.

Yes, the Yankees have another Jeter, at least until he potentially gets DFA’d again later this winter. Downs was considered an excellent prospect at the time of his inclusion in the Mookie Betts deal between the Dodgers and Red Sox, but he’s just never hit since; he’s come in at .202/.306/.370 in 231 career Triple-A games and .182/.260/.273 in 50 plate appearances in the majors. If he sticks, he’ll be a long shot to claim a bench spot out of spring training.

The Nationals needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster to make the Nick Senzel and Dylan Floro signings official on Tuesday, and unfortunately Downs was the odd-man out. The 25-year-old former top prospect spent most of the 2023 season at Triple-A Rochester where he slashed .236/.358/.379 with three homers, 18 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 193 plate appearances. With his pedigree, there could be other teams willing to take a shot on waivers.

Prospect outfielder Jacob Young will take his spot on the active roster. Downs is 2-for-5 with an RBI and a couple of stolen bases in six games with the Nats this season. He figures to return at some point in September.

He will take Stone Garrett’s spot on the active roster after the outfielder was placed on the 10-Day IL with a fractured left fibula. The former top prospect is 2-for-5 in his brief stint with the Nationals this season, but is hitting just .175/.301/.333 in 36 games at Triple-A this season. Even though Downs is taking Garrett’s spot on the active roster, he doesn’t play the outfield, which means Alex Call is likely to see more starts in Garrett’s place.