Blue Jays Claim Intriguing Cubs Infielder to Fill Bowden Francis' Roster Spot
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The Toronto Blue Jays entered Spring Training hoping to build on their 2025 World Series run, but the injury updates keep coming. The latest roster move tells that story pretty clearly.
Per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson on X: "BlueJays announce they've claimed INF Ben Cowles off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Bowden Francis to the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man."
He missed most of 2025 with a right shoulder impingement, and just as Spring Training opened, manager John Schneider confirmed he now needs Tommy John surgery on his elbow. His 2026 season is over before it started.
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#BlueJays announce they’ve claimed INF Ben Cowles off waivers from the Chicago Cubs.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) February 18, 2026
Bowden Francis to the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man.
With Francis officially moved to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man spot, Toronto turned around and claimed Cowles off waivers from the Cubs. That is where the 26-year-old infielder lands after bouncing between Chicago's two organizations last year.
Cowles was originally a 10th-round Yankees pick in 2021 out of the University of Maryland. He can play shortstop, second, and third, which gives him some value as a depth piece. He has never appeared in a major league game.
Ben Cowles Career Stats and What He Offers Toronto
His 2025 numbers at Triple-A were not pretty: a combined .235 average and .671 OPS across over 460 plate appearances split between the Cubs and White Sox affiliates. The strikeout rate climbed to nearly 29 percent, which was a real concern.
But go back a year, and it is a different picture. In Double-A in 2024, Cowles hit .286 with nine home runs, solid walk rates, and a strikeout rate closer to 18 percent. There is still a version of this player that works, and Toronto is betting on that at Triple-A Buffalo.
The Jays are not expecting Cowles to factor into big league plans right away. What they needed was a body on the 40-man after Francis went down, and Cowles fits that role. He gives Buffalo infield depth and the organization a safety net if something breaks down up top.
Toronto spent heavily this offseason to build out their pitching staff, but losing Francis and Santander before a single game is played puts that depth to the test early. The projected rotation of Cease, Yesavage, Gausman, Ponce, and Berrios looks solid, but there is not much behind them if things go sideways.
Cowles is a minor footnote in all of this. The real story is Toronto absorbing another significant pitching loss and doing what it can to keep the roster functional heading into a season with real expectations.
Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. His current focus is MLB coverage spanning the Blue Jays, Astros, Rangers, Marlins, Tigers, and Rockies, with additional expertise in basketball and college football.