White Sox acquire infielder from Cubs that they were forced to let go

The Chicago White Sox claimed 25-year-old infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Cowles was added to the White Sox 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

The Cubs originally acquired Cowles in a deal with the New York Yankees at last year’s trade deadline for right-handed relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. They added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft during the offseason, but were forced to waive him after adding Carlos Santana this week.

Cowles has played his way off the Cubs 40-man with an uninspiring 2025 season, but the White Sox are in a perfect spot to gamble on his productive track record.

Cowles was a consistent offensive force with the Yankees

Drafted in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, Cowles made his way through the farm system with consistent offensive production.

While his career high in home runs is 10, Cowles would regularly have an OPS over .800 and double-digit stolen bases in most minor seasons. With the Somerset Patriots (Double-A) in 2024, Cowles played in 88 games and had an .848 OPS with nine (9) home runs, 25 doubles, and 14 stolen bases.

He was never a highly-touted prospect, but Cowles was always seen as an up-and-coming player in the Yankees farm system before they traded him.

With the Cubs in 2025, Cowles spent the entire season in Triple-A. In 113 games this season, he's batting .238 with a .686 OPS. He has nine (9) home runs, 28 doubles, and 16 stolen bases.

Even in a down year, 28 doubles and 16 stolen bases with defensive versatility on the infield is intriguing. There's not better team to take a chance on Ben Cowles than the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox are a great fit for Ben Cowles

The White Sox are at a stage in their rebuild where they are still assessing which of their players can be part of their long-term core. It's competitive, but that's because the organization continues to find depth in players like Cowles.

By stashing him in the minor leagues while keeping him on the 40-man roster, the White Sox are adding another infield option with offensive upside if he can work out some of his bat-to-ball issues.

Cowles is now in the mix with players like Curtis Mead, Bryan Ramos, Tim Elko, and Will Robertson. Those are guys trying to prove they have what it takes at the big league level over the final month of the season, but the jury is still out on if Cowles will get that shot.

We know the White Sox love defensive versatility. They also love a player with a good understanding of the strike zone. Cowles has that. His walk rate has always been pretty respectable, and his knack for driving doubles is great offensive tool.

Ryan Fuller and the White Sox hitting lab have done some really great thing this season while developing young hitters. Bringing in Cowles to the organization is a completely risk free move that could pay dividends.