The Chicago Cubs have clarified their roster as they prepare for their season-opening series in Tokyo. According to an MLB.com report, the team have trimmed its spring roster from 42 to 35 players.

One of the more interesting, under-the-radar players of the bunch is Ben Cowles, an infielder acquired from the New York Yankees last July in the Mark Leiter Jr. trade. He has raked this spring, batting .400 with a 1.183 OPS over 25 at-bats.

Cowles is currently in line to start at shortstop for Chicago’s triple-A affiliate in Des Moines. He may not have one specific trait that stands out, but offensive and defensive versatility (he can play all over the infield) could make him a utility bench asset sometime this summer.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nicky Lopez hits a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.

Dansby Swanson is locked in at the six for the Cubs , but there is a path up the depth chart for Cowles. The only other current infielders on the bench are Justin Turner, Jon Berti, and Vidal Bruján, who was also added to the Japan roster.

However, Turner plays on the corners and Berti and Bruján have only seen limited time at shortstop. Berti has made 88 starts in 488 career games, while Bruján has just 33 starts in 197 games.

Two other top prospects , RHP Cade Horton (No. 2) and C Moises Ballesteros (No. 4), are other notable cuts and triple-A names to watch for in 2025.