Blue Jays claim Ben Cowles off waivers from Cubs, add 40-man depth

The Toronto Blue Jays added 26-year-old infielder Ben Cowles to their 40-man roster when they claimed him off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Feb. 18, 2026, MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and MLB Trade Rumors’ Darragh McDonald reported. The claim coincided with the club placing right-hander Bowden Francis on the 60-day injured list to open the spot.

Cowles is a right-handed-hitting infielder who has yet to make his Major League debut. Sportsnet reports he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 10th round of the 2021 draft and later was traded to the Cubs in the deal for RHP Mark Leiter Jr. The transactional churn around Cowles has been brisk: the Cubs added him to their 40-man roster in November 2024 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, MLB Trade Rumors noted; the Cubs DFA’d him in early September 2025, he landed with the Chicago White Sox via waivers late in 2025, the Cubs claimed him back in January 2026, and the Cubs DFA’d him again after signing Shelby Miller, clearing the way for Toronto’s claim.

Minor-league numbers vary across reports. Sportsnet and Bluebirdbanter list a 2025 Triple-A split of 128 games with a .235 batting average, .671 OPS, nine home runs and 18 stolen bases. The Big Lead provides a different cut: 113 games at Triple-A Iowa with a .238/.304/.382 slash line while seeing time at second base, third base and shortstop. Neither outlet reconciles the difference in the excerpts available.

Scouting and roster projections emphasize defense and speed. MLB Trade Rumors wrote that Cowles “has a decent floor as a speed-and-defense type” and that “he has lots of minor league experience at the three infield spots to the left of first base.” MLB Trade Rumors also noted that “he has posted double-digit stolen base totals in each of the past four minor league seasons.” Bluebirdbanter adds a roster detail: “Cowles has two options.” Baseball Prospects, quoted by Bluebirdbanter, summarized: “Prospects TLDR: Cowles’ Double-A stats are a bit of a mirage, but he’s a capable shortstop defender who provides enough offense to consider him a low-impact bench infielder.”

Toronto’s infield makeup creates a specific window for Cowles. MLB Trade Rumors outlined the reshuffle after Bo Bichette departed in free agency, writing that “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.” Bluebirdbanter suggests Cowles “will be battling Leo Jimenez for the utility infielder role this spring,” and The Big Lead expects Cowles to join the Jays’ spring training camp in Dunedin, Florida “as a longshot to make their opening day roster, but with a chance to make a fast impression on his new team.” MLB Trade Rumors cautioned: “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.”

The roster move that made the claim possible underscores the cost of depth. Sportsnet reports Bowden Francis underwent UCL reconstruction surgery in his right elbow and will miss the 2026 season after a 2025 campaign in which he posted a 6.05 ERA in 14 starts before landing on the injured list in mid-June. With Francis out for the year, Cowles supplies low-cost, optionable infield insurance and a defensive profile tailored to late-inning roles and spot starts as Toronto’s spring camp sorts out actual playing time.