Cubs Claim Ben Cowles
The Cubs have brought Ben Cowles back to Wrigleyville, as the team announced that the infielder has been claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays. In a corresponding move, right-hander Shelby Miller was moved to Chicago’s 60-day injured list. Miller underwent UCL and flexor surgery last October and will miss the 2026 season.
Miller’s two-year, $2.5MM deal with the Cubs was officially announced on February 15, and Cowles was designated for assignment to create roster space. The Jays claimed Cowles off the waiver wire, but the infielder now quickly finds himself back in the Cubs organization. There hadn’t been any indication that Toronto had DFA’ed Cowles, but the Blue Jays needed to open up a spot on their 40-man roster now that Max Scherzer is returning to the team.
A tenth-round pick for the Yankees in the 2021 draft, Cowles first came to Chicago at the 2024 trade deadline, when Cowles was one of two prospects dealt to the Cubs for Mark Leiter Jr. Cowles was DFA’ed last September and claimed off waivers by the White Sox, but the Cubs brought Cowles back from their local rivals in January on another waiver claim.
Throughout all of these comings and goings, Cowles has yet to make his Major League debut. The 26-year-old posted decent numbers in the lower minors but has hit only .235/.299/.368 over 536 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. The lack of offense has surely contributed to Cowles’ apparent status as 40th-man type, though he has speed (70 steals in 92 attempts in the minors) and has plenty of experience as a shortstop, second, and third baseman, plus a couple of cameo appearances in the outfield.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Cowles again land in DFA limbo the next time the Cubs need to create a 40-man opening, but the team clearly sees some value in the infielder’s skillset. Whether this translates into any time on the active roster remains to be seen, as Cowles might only get considered for a call-up if an injury arises to an infield regular.
Blue Jays Claim Ben Cowles
The Blue Jays announced that they have claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Cubs. Chicago had designated him for assignment a few days ago when they signed Shelby Miller. Toronto has placed Bowden Francis on the 60-day injured list to open a spot for this claim.
Cowles, 26, is still looking to make his major league debut. The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster in November of 2024 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He was kept in the minors on optional assignment until being designated for assignment in early September. He went to the White Sox via waivers but then the Cubs claimed him back in January. Now the Cubs have lost him via the wire a second time.
He has a decent floor as a speed-and-defense type. He has lots of minor league experience at the three infield spots to the left of first base. He has posted double-digit stolen base totals in each of the past four minor league seasons.
The bat is more of a question mark. He had a really good year at the plate in 2024, slashing .286/.372/.457 at the Double-A level for a 141 wRC+. The Cubs acquired him from the Yankees that summer as part of the Mark Leiter Jr. trade and then gave him a roster spot at season’s end. His 2025 was far less impressive, as he slashed .235/.300/.371 at the Triple-A level for a 71 wRC+. Though he had drawn walks at a 10.4% rate in 2024, that figure dropped to 7.2% last year. His strikeout rate also jumped from 17.7% to 28.8%.
That dip at the plate has pushed Cowles to the waiver wire a few times but clubs clearly still like the profile enough to keep picking him up. For the Jays, they had a roster spot to use since Francis is going to miss 2026 due to Tommy John surgery, so they’ve used it to add some infield depth.
It’s possible Cowles ends up back on waivers at some point, but for now, he provides the Jays with some optionable depth for an infield that should look different than last year. Bo Bichette departed via free agency, signing with the Mets. Andrés Giménez should take over the shortstop job, as he did while Bichette was hurt late in 2025. Ernie Clement will likely become the regular at second base. The Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to cover third base, which should push Addison Barger into a more regular corner outfield role. Davis Schneider should be on the bench in a short-side platoon role, able to play second base or an outfield corner.
Leo Jiménez is still on the 40-man roster but is out of options, meaning he’d need to be kept on the big league squad or passed through waivers. Since Cowles still has options, that could give him a leg up over Jiménez in hanging onto a roster spot as a depth infielder.
As for Francis, he’ll spend the entire season on the 60-day IL. No pitcher wants to miss an entire season but the upside is that he’ll collect a full year of big league pay and service time. He’ll cross three years of service this year and will be eligible for arbitration going into 2026, but he’ll be a non-tender candidate after so much missed time. He also missed the second half of 2025 due to a shoulder impingement.
Photo courtesy of Cody Scanlen, Imagn Images
Cubs Designate Ben Cowles For Assignment
The Cubs officially announced their signing of right-hander Shelby Miller today, and in a corresponding move designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment.
Cowles, who celebrates his 26th birthday today, has not yet made his MLB debut. He was a tenth-round pick by the Yankees back in 2021 and climbed his way through the minors before being traded alongside right-hander Jack Neely to the Cubs in exchange for right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. at the 2024 trade deadline. Cowles was injured at the time of the trade and appeared in just four games with the Cubs organization that year, but was promoted to Triple-A headed into the 2025 season.
His age-25 campaign wasn’t anything to get excited about. Cowles hit a middling .238/.304/.382 in 462 trips to the plate with the Iowa Cubs, with nine homers and 16 steals while playing mostly shortstop and also getting occasional reps at second and third base. He was designated for assignment by the Cubs in September to make room for Carlos Santana on the 40-man roster, and was claimed by the crosstown rival White Sox shortly thereafter. Cowles appeared in just 15 games for the team’s Triple-A affiliate down the stretch and was DFA’d once again in January to make room for Munetaka Murakami on the 40-man roster.
That allowed the Cubs to reclaim him, and while he doesn’t have a clear path to a bench role in the majors at this point given the presence of Matt Shaw on the roster, it wouldn’t have been a shock to see him make his big league debut in a bench role for Chicago at some point this year in the event of an injury somewhere on the big league club. Now, however, Chicago will have one week to either trade Cowles to try to pass him through waivers. If he gets through waivers unclaimed successfully, he’ll be assigned outright to Triple-A and serve as non-roster depth for the Cubs going into the season. Should he be claimed, he’ll join the claiming team’s 40-man roster and depart the organization for the second time in the past six months.
Even without Cowles, the Cubs have decent infield depth behind Shaw for a bench role if needed. Scott Kingery and Owen Miller are veterans who joined the organization on minor league deals this winter, while prospects James Triantos, B.J. Murray, and Pedro Martinez all figure to start the year at Triple-A but could be depth options for the Cubs at some point this year if a need should arise.
Cubs Claim Ben Cowles
The Cubs have claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the White Sox, per a team announcement. The Sox designated Cowles for assignment one week ago when they claimed catcher Drew Romo off waivers from the Mets.
Cowles lands back with the Cubs, who designated him for assignment back in September. They originally acquired the former Yankees tenth-rounder as part of the trade sending Mark Leiter Jr. to the Bronx. The White Sox claimed him a few days later, but it’ll just be a stay of a few months with the South Siders before heading north back to the Cubs.
The 25-year-old Cowles has yet to take a plate appearance in the majors. He split 2025 between the Triple-A clubs for the two Chicago teams, slashing a combined .235/.300/.371 with nine homers, 18 steals, a 7.2% walk rate and a 28.8% strikeout rate. He’s viewed as a serviceable defender at shortstop who can also handle second base and third base, giving him a chance to carve out a role as a utility player.
Although his 2025 numbers were ugly, Cowles hit .286/.372/.457 with nine homers, 14 steals, a 10.4% walk rate and a 17.7% strikeout rate in 92 Double-A games during the 2024 season. He still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, so he’ll give the Cubs some depth around an infield that became more crowded with this week’s signing of Alex Bregman. That signing already pushed Matt Shaw into a utility role, meaning Cowles will likely open the season with the Cubs’ Triple-A club in Des Moines — if he sticks with the organization until Opening Day.
White Sox Claim Drew Romo, Designate Ben Cowles
The White Sox have claimed catcher Drew Romo off waivers from the Mets, according to a club announcement. Chicago designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment in order to open a spot for Romo on the 40-man roster.
The No. 35 overall pick by the Rockies back in 2020, Romo garnered some top-100 fanfare earlier in his prospect days but has seen his bat stall out after a nice 2023 season between High-A and Double-A. He’s still a quality defensive catcher with a rocket arm behind the plate, but Romo’s offensive output at Triple-A has declined in consecutive seasons. He hit .264/.329/.409 (75 wRC+) in an extremely hitter-friendly Triple-A Albuquerque setting in 2025 and saw his strikeout rate balloon from 17.8% in ’24 to 25.8%.
The Rockies gave Romo a couple brief looks in the majors, but he totaled only 56 plate appearances and logged a .167/.196/.222 slash with a sky-high 37.5% strikeout rate. He still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, so he’ll give the South Siders some defensive-minded depth behind the plate.
The Sox have Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero on the big league roster already. Both were top-100 prospects this time a year ago. Quero held his own in his 2025 MLB debut (.268/.333/.356 in 403 plate appearances), and Teel excelled at the plate. In 297 trips to the batter’s box, Teel slashed .273/.375/.411 (125 wRC+) with a big 12.5% walk rate. Given that he not only outproduced Quero but also grades out as a vastly better defender, Teel staked his claim to the starting job in 2026 and beyond. Twenty-seven-year-old Korey Lee, who’s out of minor league options, will also have to break camp with the team (if he’s not traded first) or else be designated for assignment.
Both Teel and Quero have drawn offseason trade interest, though that doesn’t mean a move will come to fruition. Other clubs have called the White Sox about that catching tandem — not vice versa — which is only natural, given the scarcity of quality catchers in the game and the ever-increasing emphasis on cultivating young, controllable talent. Claiming another catcher doesn’t indicate that the Sox are more seriously considering a trade of either Teel or Quero; it’s more likely a mere matter of adding some depth (particularly some optionable depth, as Lee’s hold on his roster spot figures to be a bit tenuous).
As for Cowles, who’ll turn 26 next month, he’s a former tenth-round pick by the Yankees who has already twice changed teams in his pro career. New York shipped him to the Cubs alongside Jack Neely in the 2024 Mark Leiter Jr. trade, and the White Sox claimed him off waivers about 13 months later.
Cowles has yet to take a plate appearance in the majors. He split the ’25 season between the Triple-A clubs for the two Chicago teams, slashing a combined .235/.300/.371 with nine homers, 18 steals, a 7.2% walk rate and a 28.8% strikeout rate. He’s viewed as a serviceable defender at shortstop who can also handle second base and third base, giving him a chance to carve out a role as a utility player.
Although his 2025 numbers were ugly, Cowles hit .286/.372/.457 with nine homers, 14 steals, a 10.4% walk rate and a 17.7% strikeout rate in 92 Double-A games during the 2024 season. Between that production, his solid glove/speed combination, and a pair of remaining minor league option years, there’s a chance he’ll be picked up by another club hoping to secure some optionable infield depth.
White Sox Claim Ben Cowles
The White Sox announced Wednesday that they’ve claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Cubs. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. They already had multiple 40-man roster vacancies, so no corresponding transactions were needed. The White Sox’ 40-man roster is now up to 39 players.
Cowles, 25, has a good minor league track record overall but is having a down year. Drafted by the Yankees back in 2021, he went on to produce a combined .268/.365/.426 batting line across various minor league levels from 2021 to 2024. That production translated to a 124 wRC+, indicating he was 24% better than league average at the plate. His 25.9% strikeout rate was a bit high but he drew walks at an 11.5% pace. He also provided double-digit steals annually in the latter three of those years while bouncing between shortstop, third base and second base, plus two thirds of an inning in left field.
The Cubs acquired him in July 2024, one of two players they got when sending Mark Leiter Jr. to the Bronx. The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster in November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. But as mentioned, his results haven’t been great this year. He has stepped to the plate 462 times at the Triple-A level. His 28.6% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate are subpar, both compared to league average and his previous production. His .238/.304/.382 batting line translates to a 74 wRC+.
That performance got him nudged off the Cubs’ roster but he’s a sensible flier for the White Sox. He can still be optioned for two more seasons after this one, so the Sox can send him to Charlotte and see if he gets back on track. Even with his down year at the plate, he has stolen 16 bases and provided his typical defensive versatility.
The Sox are currently getting breakout seasons from Colson Montgomery and Lenyn Sosa. Montgomery should be at shortstop for the foreseeable future while Sosa will likely be at second or first. The rest of their infield mix includes some intriguing but unproven players like Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, Bryan Ramos and Curtis Mead. Cowles gives the Sox another guy to put in that group as they see who separates themselves from the pack.
Photo courtesy of Cody Scanlan, Imagn Images
Cubs Designate Ben Cowles For Assignment
The Cubs announced that infielder Ben Cowles has been designated for assignment. That opens a 40-man spot for the signing of first baseman Carlos Santana, a move that was previously reported. Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM was among those to relay the news.
Cowles, 25, was acquired from the Yankees in last summer’s deadline deal which sent Mark Leiter Jr. to the Bronx. The Cubs then added him to their 40-man roster in November, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.
Unfortunately, he’s not having a great year in Triple-A. His 7.1% walk rate and 28.6% strikeout rate are both subpar figures. His .238/.304/.382 batting line translates to a wRC+ of 74, despite a strong .325 batting average on balls in play. He does have 16 stolen bases but has also been caught six times.
That performance has nudged him off the 40-man roster. With the trade deadline having passed, he’ll have to be placed on waivers in the coming days. It’s possible a club is interested based on his past performance. From 2021 to 2024, he slashed .268/.365/.426 across various minor league levels for a 124 wRC+. He regularly posts double-digit steal totals and can bounce around between shortstop, second base and third base.
Though his 2025 season isn’t going well, the overall track record is better and he has a full slate of options. Perhaps that will inspire some club with an open roster spot to put in a claim and stash him in the minors as a depth piece.
Photo courtesy of Cody Scanlan, Imagn Images
Cubs Designate Brennen Davis, Adbert Alzolay For Assignment
The Cubs made a series of roster moves ahead of today’s deadline for protecting players from the Rule 5 draft. Per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune on X, the club has selected outfielder Owen Caissie and infielder Ben Cowles. To open roster spots for those two, outfielder Brennen Davis and right-hander Adbert Alzolay have been designated for assignment. It was reported earlier today that Alzolay was likely to be DFA’d. Kiley McDaniel reported on Caissie and Cowles (X links) prior to the full slate of moves being revealed.
Davis, 25, was once one of the top prospects in baseball. A second-round pick of the Cubs in 2018, he tore through the minors and Baseball America ranked him the #16 prospect in the league going into 2022. He had slashed .260/.375/.494 across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2021 for a 140 wRC+ and seemed to be on the cusp of an exciting debut.
Unfortunately, his stock has fallen since then and he still hasn’t cracked the majors. He required back surgery in the middle of 2022, which was followed by core surgery in 2023 and then a fractured ankle in 2024. Through those ailments, he has only played 179 games over the past three years, slashing a paltry .200/.319/.345 while on the field.
The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster two years ago, to keep him out of the 2022 Rule 5 draft, but the ongoing injury woes have nudged him off the roster. They will now have a week to figure out what’s next, whether that’s a trade or putting him on waivers. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so a trade would have to come together in the next five days. He does still have one option year remaining, so perhaps some club would be interested in taking a flier on him to see if he can stay healthy and get back on track.
Caissie, 22, is now in the position Davis was in a few years ago. A second-round pick from 2020, he is now ranked as one of the top 100 prospects in the league. He has slashed .278/.383/.470 over the past four years for a 129 wRC+. Given his prospect status and the fact that he has already played a full season at the Triple-A level, he is one of the most obvious roster additions of today.
His path to the big league club isn’t clear right now, as the Cubs have Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Mike Tauchman all in the mix for playing time in the outfield and the designated hitter slot. Perhaps an offseason move will change that picture or an injury will open some playing time, though time will tell on that.
Cowles, 25 in February, was a Yankee prospect until coming over to the Cubs a few months ago in the deadline deal that sent Mark Leiter Jr. to the Bronx. He produced a .077/.294/.077 line after that trade but the Cubs will be banking on what he did beforehand. He slashed .294/.376/.472 in 88 Double-A games before switching clubs, also stealing 14 bases while playing the three infield spots to the left of first base. He’ll give the Cubs some depth around the dirt but has just three games of Triple-A experience, so might be ticketed for more time on the farm.