Ben Cowles

The Toronto Blue Jays have claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. The 26-year-old offers good defense and speed potential, which could be very important for the Blue Jays this season. He originally came up in the Yankees' system before getting traded to the Cubs in the Mark Leiter Jr. deal back in 2024. He has bounced back and forth between the Cubs and White Sox late last season and over the winter, but now he's headed north of the border to join the Jays. He's still awaiting his MLB debut after spending last year in Triple-A, slashing .235/.300/.371 with nine homers and 18 stolen bases. He's a defense-first option that could have speed upside if he gets playing time, but he's likely to start the season in the minors, unless there's an injury.