Going into next season the Yankees still do not have a strong third base candidate. As of right now, it appears that the plan is to put DJ Lemahieu there, but it is very "iffy" as to whether or not his bat will come back around in 2024. Though the Yankees appear to have confidence in placing Lemahieu at third base (maybe naively so) for 2024, they appear to have jumped the gun on looking for a third baseman of the future. Off waivers, they have signed Jeter Downs, who had once been a promising top prospect for the Red Sox just a few years ago. Unfortunately for Downs, when he reached Triple A in 2021, he began to struggle mightely at the plate in a way that he never had at the previous levels in the minors. He spent two straight seasons with the Worcester WooSox hitting under .200. Not a good look for a guy trying to make it to the big leagues. However, out of necessity Downs was brought up to the majors in 2022. His minor league numbers suggested that he wasn't ready, and his performance with the Red Sox didn't change that. Downs lasted forty-one plate appearances before the Red Sox gave up on him. In those forty-one plate appearances, he had a miserable twenty-one strikeouts. But still, forty-one plate appearances for a player who is clearly not ready to be in the big leagues yet, and you let him go?
Understandably, the Nationals took a chance on Downs because why wouldn't you? This was a highly touted prospect before his previous forty-one plate appearances. At Triple A Rochester, Downs hit a much more respectable .236. Still not good, but certainly moving in the right direction. Then, when Downs was called to the big leagues again, he walked four times, had two hits, and stole two bases in nine plate appearances. Though a small sample size, that's very impressive, especially for a guy who could have very easily lost confidence after his stint with the Red Sox. His short spurt of excellence with the Nationals showed that Downs could be a great player when he puts it all together.
Undoubtedly, Downs will be down with Triple A Scranton next season barring that he doesn't put on an extraordinary performance in spring training. If he makes a big leap in Triple A next season, he could be an option for the big-league roster come 2025 as a productive contributor, and possibly a rising star. If he never gets any better and is truly a bust, then the Yankees didn't lose anything anyway. It's a no risk, high reward situation. Plus, if he does get good it would be a great story. Afterall, he is named after the captain. The fans would eat it up.
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