The Red Sox on Friday added infielder Jeter Downs and right-handed pitchers Bryan Bello, Josh Winckowski, and Kutter Crawford to their 40-man roster.
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Christopher Smith, this protects them from the Rule 5 Draft.
Downs, 23, is ranked as one of the organization’s top 10 prospects by both MLB.com (fifth) and Baseball America (sixth). The right-handed hitter finished the 2021 season in Worcester with a .190 average, 14 home runs, and 18 stolen bases.
Bello, their No. 5 prospect according to Baseball America, split the season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland.