Yankees cut Downs, likely ending his time in New York before it started
NEW YORK — Jeter Downs‘ profession with the New York Yankees may finish earlier than it began.
Downs was designated for task Friday, one month after the Yankees claimed the 25-year-old shortstop off waivers from the Washington Nationals. The Yankees wanted the roster spot after claiming infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers from the New York Mets.
Downs, the thirty second total decide by Cincinnati within the 2017 novice draft, is called after former Yankees captain Derek Jeter.
The Yankees have seven days to commerce Downs or place him on waivers.
New York additionally finalized a one-year contract with right-hander Luke Weaver, who was claimed by the Yankees off waivers from Seattle on Sept. 12, made three begins and have become a free agent. Weaver, 30, was the twenty seventh total decide within the 2014 novice draft and is 27-42 with a 5.14 ERA in eight main league seasons with St. Louis (2016-18), Arizona (2019-22), Kansas City (2022), Cincinnati (2023), Seattle (2023) and Yankees (2023),
Outfielder Bubba Thompson was designated for task to open a roster spot for Weaver.
Downs was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Boston Red Sox as a part of a bundle for Mookie Betts in 2020. He made his massive league debut with Boston in 2022 and hit .154 (6 for 39) with one homer and 4 RBIs. He was claimed by the Nationals off waivers final Dec. 22 and was 2 for five this 12 months with one RBI and two stolen bases. He hit .236 with three homers, 18 RBIs and 11 steals this 12 months for Triple-A Rochester.
Before his massive league debut on June 22, 2022, Downs obtained a pregame congratulatory tweet from Jeter. The pair had met a number of years earlier.
“Congratulations and good luck… unless you are playing the Yankees,” Jeter wrote.
Castillo was designated for task by Arizona on Dec. 22 to open a roster spot for outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., was claimed by the Mets off waivers from Arizona on Jan. 5, then was designated for task per week later when the Mets wanted a roster spot for left-hander Sean Manaea.
The 26-year-old appeared in a single massive league sport final 12 months, flying out as a pinch hitter on July 31. He hit .313 with 33 doubles, three homers, 72 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 124 video games at Triple-A Reno.
Castillo made his main league debut with Pittsburgh in 2022, when he batted .206 with 11 homers and 19 RBIs in 96 video games. He was traded to Arizona in December 2022.
Thompson was claimed by the Yankees off waivers on Jan. 4 from Cincinnati, which claimed him on Oct. 26 from Kansas City, which claimed him from Texas on Aug 13. The 25-year-old hit .170 (9 for 53) with no homers, 4 RBIs and 4 stolen bases in 37 video games with Texas final 12 months.
