Boston Red Sox DFA Top Prospect Jeter Downs To Make Way For Japana’s $90M Man Matasaka Yoshida | The MLBbro Still Has A Bright Future

Boston Red Sox DFA Top Prospect Jeter Downs To Make Way For Japana’s $90M Man Matasaka Yoshida | The MLBbro Still Has A Bright Future

The Boston Red Sox made one of the underrated moves of the offseason when the franchise signed Japanese outfielder Matasaka Yoshida, who some have called the best hitter for Japan’s Orix Buffaloes since the great Ichiro Suzuki.

Unfortunately, Yoshida’s $90M contract comeup resulted in MLBbro Jeter Downs, the top prospect in the Red Sox organization, being designated for assignment. In what is reported as a surprise move, Boston needed to free up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster in order to officially complete the signing of Yoshida and did so at Downs’ expense.

Downs, a first-round pick of the Cincinatti Reds in the 2017 MLB Draft, got a cup of coffee with the Red Sox in 2021. The 24-year-old played in 14 games. Over that stretch, the young infielder slashed .154/.171/.256, clubbed one home run and drove in four runs.