Cubs Claim Ben Cowles Off Waivers Yet Again

The Cubs designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment two weeks ago to clear a space for righty reliever Shelby Miller, after which Cowles was claimed by the Blue Jays. But when Toronto needed a spot for Max Scherzer, Cowles was back on the waiver wire. That gave the Cubs the chance to acquire him for the third time, with Miller’s placement on the 60-day IL making room.

The Cubs first picked Cowles up from the Yankees as part of the return for Mark Leiter Jr. at the 2024 trade deadline. Cowles was DFA’d and claimed by the White last September, then the process flipped in January. The 26-year-old infielder has yet to appear in a big league game and has slashed just .235/.299/.368 over around a season’s worth of plate appearances at Triple-A.

He’s basically the bizarro version of a veteran expiring contract in the NBA, being moved around as expendable depth. It’s very unlikely that Cowles will ever see time in Chicago due to the Cubs’ existing infield depth, but I sure hope he at least gets a chance to stick with the same organization for a while.