It will be Downs’s debut in the Major League every time he makes his first appearance on the pitch for a game. Acquired alongside Alex Verdugo and Connor Wong in the trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers, Downs was once widely ranked among the top 100 prospects in the sport, but saw his share fall after a couple of poor performances in Triple -A. In 53 games so far with WooSox, the 23-year-old Downs has hit just 0.180 / .297 / .397 with a 31.1% strike rate in 222 record appearances. This actually represents a modest improvement over his races on a larger sample during the 2021 campaign. In total, he has now counted 627 Triple-A plate appearances with just 0.187 / .281 / .355 vertical to show. Despite these difficulties, Downs will get his first appearance in the big league and will give the Sox some extra depth on the pitch at a time when both Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez are on the injured list. Major League teams that had 14 pitchers also need to reduce their personal pitching to 13 as of today, and Downs was already on the 40-player roster, making him an easy name to remember. It will take a 40-man squad once Arroyo is cleared to return from the Covid-related injury list anyway, so Norwood’s definition and Downs brief taste for the Majors is a sensible – albeit probably short-term – route. to follow. currently. Norwood, acquired by the Phillies for cash at the weekend, never appeared in a game with the Sox before what is now the third DFA in the last three months. The 28-year-old spent most of the spring training session with the Padres, but was assigned late to the camp and then traded to Philadelphia for second division side Kervin Pizzardo. Norwood showed great speed, ability to lose bats and a talent for holding the ball in the park during the 17 1/3 of a game with the Phillies. However, he also walked too many winners, found it difficult to overtake the runners (he inherited them as well as those he allowed to reach the base) and generally made very hard contact. In those 17 1/3 frames with Philly, Norwood was marked for an ERA 8.31, with the result that the marking of his career through 44 1/3 inning reached 5.48. It is certainly possible that Norwood’s average fastball and splitter with a top speed of 96.8 mph accompanied by a 42.7% whiff rate will give him a look at another team, either through resignations or another small transaction. However, he has no options for small leagues, so any interested club will need to include him in the roster of 40 players. The Red Sox will have a week to exchange Norwood, try to get him to resign immediately or release him.
