Cubs protect Caissie, Cowles from Rule 5 Draft, DFA Alzolay, Davis

A pair of the Chicago Cubs’ top prospects are one step closer to the major leagues.

The deadline for teams to add eligible players to their 40-man rosters to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft next month came Tuesday night, and Owen Caissie was an obvious choice. The Cubs made that official by selecting Caissie’s contract along with infield prospect Ben Cowles, adding them to the 40-man roster (which is now at 40).

To clear room on the 40-man, the Cubs designated Adbert Alzolay and Brennen Davis for assignment.

Caissie was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft, and the Cubs then acquired him at the end of that year as part of the Yu Darvish trade. It was always going to be some time before Caissie would make his way up to the major leagues considering his age at that point, and he has yet to make his MLB debut.

However, because he was drafted and signed at under 19 years old, he needed to be added to the 40-man roster within five seasons or else he’d become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Rather than let him be exposed to that draft for the first time this winter, the Cubs added him to the 40-man.

In 127 games (549 plate appearances) with Triple-A Iowa last season, Caissie slashed .278/.375/.472 with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs. His walk rate (12.9 percent) dropped slightly from his 2023 rate with Double-A Tennessee (14.4 percent), but he also brought his strikeout rate down from 31.1 percent to 28.4 percent in 2024.

Caissie has shot up prospect lists, including on MLB Pipeline’s most recent top-100 update, where he ranked No. 34 (and No. 2 in the Cubs’ system). Here’s part of Pipeline’s 2024 scouting report on the 22-year-old:

Despite his youth, Caissie already generates some of the highest exit velocities in the game and his raw power earns top-of-the-scale grades from some evaluators. The bat speed from his left-handed swing and the projectable strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3 frame could translate into 35-40 homers per season as he continues to pull and lift pitches more frequently and makes adjustments at the plate. He struck out at a 31 percent rate in 2023 and struggles with sliders, but the whiffs are an acceptable tradeoff for his pop and he does draw a healthy amount of walks.

As the roster is currently constructed, it’s unclear where major league playing time will come for Caissie.

With Cody Bellinger back in the fold for another year, the expected Opening Day outfield lineup consists him in right, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center and Ian Happ in left, with Seiya Suzuki slotted in as designated hitter. So, at the moment, everyday at-bats look tough to come by for Caissie at the big league level.

But in any case, now that he’s on the 40-man, he’ll at the very least operate as outfield depth who’s one call away from hitting the majors for the first time.

The Cubs acquired Cowles, 24, at the 2024 trade deadline in the deal that sent Mark Leiter Jr. to the New York Yankees.

Though he initially wasn’t expected to play again during the regular season as he was recovering from a wrist injury at the time of the trade, he did return to play four games for Tennessee in September. Across 92 games with both organizations in 2024, Cowles slashed .286/.372/.457 with 37 extra-base hits (nine home runs) and 51 RBIs. He also joined the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, where he slashed .213/.298/.320 in 19 games.

Here’s part of the 2024 scouting report on Cowles from Pipeline, who most recently had him listed at No. 29 in the Cubs’ system:

A right-handed hitter, Cowles doesn’t have a standout offensive tool but can do a little bit of everything. He drives balls in the air, has enough pull power to provide 15 or more homers per season and draws a fair amount of walks. He has some swing-and-miss issues that persisted through Single-A and High-A but is doing a much better job of making in-zone contact in 2024.

While Cowles has average speed, he can play faster at times and is an opportunistic basestealer. He has bounced around the infield as a pro, showing sure hands and an average arm at both middle-infield spots while being much more erratic at third base. He draws praise for his work ethic and baseball IQ.

Alzolay emerged as the Cubs’ closer in 2023, converting 22 of 25 save opportunities before a right forearm strain cost him time in September. He struggled in the same role to begin 2024, going 4-for-9 in save opportunities. Then, in mid-May, he hit the injured list and didn’t pitch for the Cubs again in 2024.

He ultimately had Tommy John surgery in August.

This move makes sense given the fact Alzolay will miss most, if not all, of 2025. The Cubs could attempt to re-sign him on a minor league deal. That would keep him in the organization so they can monitor his rehab from the surgery, and then a return to the big leagues could be on the table.

Davis was once the Cubs’ top prospect and appeared on the cusp of a call-up before the injury bug hit.

He played in just 179 games from 2022-24. His injury list includes back surgery (2022), core-muscle surgery (2023) and a back fracture (2024). He did return from the latter ailment in time to play 11 more games for Iowa, but his season ended in mid-September on a slide into second base, which caused a left ankle fracture.

It’s possible the Cubs also try to bring Davis back on a minor league deal. However, due to the aforementioned outfield logjam at the major league level plus the rise of outfield prospects like Caissie and Kevin Alcántara (who made his MLB debut in late September), Davis may find a better path to the big leagues with another organization.