Cubs claim White Sox infielder off waivers

The Chicago Cubs on Thursday claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, according to a team announcement. The move returns Cowles to the Cubs organization just over four months after he was designated for assignment by the club in September. The waiver claim temporarily fills Chicago’s 40-man roster.

White Sox designated Cowles for assignment on January 8, following their waiver claim of catcher Drew Romo from the New York Mets. Chicago’s American League club had claimed Cowles on September 3, two days after the Cubs designated him for assignment while activating Aaron Civale. Cowles’ latest stop with the White Sox amounted to only a few months, all at the minor-league level.

The 25-year-old infielder has not yet appeared in a Major League game. During the 2025 season, he split time between Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs system and Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox system. Cowles combined for a .235/.300/.371 batting line between the two organizations, with nine home runs, 18 stolen bases, a 7.2 percent walk rate, and a 28.8 percent strikeout rate.

Most of Cowles’ playing time this past season came with Triple-A Iowa, where he appeared in 114 games. With the Iowa Cubs, he batted .238/.304/.382, recorded nine home runs, drove in 44 runs, and stole 16 bases. After joining the White Sox organization in September, Cowles played 15 games for Triple-A Charlotte, hitting .220/.277/.288 with five RBIs and two stolen bases.

The New York Yankees selected Cowles in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, and he progressed through their minor league system. Cowles originally joined the Cubs at the July 30, 2024, trade deadline, when Chicago acquired him and right-hander Jack Neely from New York in exchange for reliever Mark Leiter Jr. In 2024, he spent time at Double-A Somerset and briefly appeared for Double-A Tennessee after the trade, going 1-for-13 with two walks in four games before missing the remainder of the season due to lingering effects after taking a hit by a pitch.

Cowles brings experience at shortstop and can also handle second base and third base. That positional flexibility has been a consistent part of his profile and is a primary reason he continues to draw interest as organizational depth. He still has two minor league option years remaining.

With the Cubs’ infield depth chart becoming more crowded following recent roster moves, Cowles is likely to provide depth rather than immediate major league impact. As of now, Chicago’s 40-man roster is full, though that status could change again before the start of the 2026 season.