Cubs make several roster moves |
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today signed free agent infielder Carlos Santana to a major league contract. In a corresponding move, infielder Ben Cowles was designated for assignment. Additionally, outfielder Kevin Alcántara was recalled from Triple-A Iowa and outfielder Owen Caissie was optioned to Iowa.
Santana, 39, joins the Cubs after a season-long stint with the Cleveland Guardians where he hit .225 (89-for-396) with 11 home runs and 52 RBI in 116 games played. It was his third stint in Cleveland, previously spending 10 total seasons from 2010-17 and again in 2019-20. Over his tenure with Cleveland, he earned a 2019 American League All-Star nod and a 2019 AL Silver Slugger Award, ranking second in franchise history in walks (933), tied for sixth in home runs (227) and eighth in extra-base hits (524). Over his Guardians career, he batted a .250 with 283 doubles, 14 triples, 227 homers and 762 RBI in 1,450 games. Across his 16-year Major League career, he owns a slash line of .241/.352/.426 with 403 doubles, 335 home runs, 1,134 RBI in 2,196 games. His 1,330 walks lead all active players and he currently ranks in the top ten among active hitters in runs (6th, 1,107), hits (7th, 1,878) and doubles (5th, 403). A switch-hitter, Santana has demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout his career, appearing in at least 130 games while driving in 60-or-more runs over each of his 13 full seasons in the majors (excluding rookie 2010 and shortened 2020 seasons) and has ranked in the top ten in the AL in walks 12 times during his career. In addition to his time with the Guardians, he has also played with Philadelphia (2018), Kansas City (2021-2022), Seattle (2022), Pittsburgh (2023), Milwaukee (2023) and Minnesota (2024). The Cubs will be his eighth major league team. Santana will wear #41 and right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka will now wear #99. Alcántara, 23, is hitting .266 with 17 home runs and 69 RBI in 102 games with the I-Cubs in 2025 and owns a .349 OBP and .470 SLG. Cowles, 25, is hitting .238 with nine home runs and 44 RBI for Triple-A Iowa this season. Caissie, 23, hit .208 with one home run and four RBI in 11 games with the Cubs. The Cubs host the Atlanta Braves today at 3:05 p.m. CT at Wrigley Field in a game that can be seen on the Marquee Sports Network and heard on 670 the Score and, in Spanish, on WRTO-AM. Today's roster moves presented by @NuveenInv: pic.twitter.com/bwLjA9FPLO
