By PAUL GOTHAM
Former Newark Red and Section V standout, Ben Cowles is on the move.
A 10th -round pick of the New York Yankees in the 2021 MLB Draft, Cowles was part of a trade between the Yankees and Chicago Cubs, Tuesday afternoon.
Originally announced by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, New York will send Cowles and right-handed reliever, Jack Neely in exchange for right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr..
Cowles had played 88 games this season with New York’s Double-A affiliate Somerset in the Eastern League. He was hitting .295 with nine home runs and 51 RBI. He had stolen 14 bases in 16 attempts. He appeared in 64 games at shortstop this season and 20 at third base.
Trade news: The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a trade that will send right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the Yankees and infielder Ben Cowles and right-handed reliever Jack Neely to the Cubs, sources tell me and @kileymcd.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2024
Cowles is currently on the injured list with a chipped bone in his wrist being hit by a pitch.
A two-time Finger Lakes East Player of the Year, Cowles hit .512 with an on-base percentage of .650 for Mike McGavisk’s Newark Reds in 2018. He earned Section V Class B Player of the Year as well as Class B First-Team All-State honors.
He went on to the University of Maryland where he was a Third Team All-American selection after his junior season when he led the Big Ten with 18 home runs and ranked second in the conference with 51 RBI. He posted a team-high OPS of 1.041.
His MiLB profile page, has Cowles reporting to the Tennessee Smokies – the Cubs Double-A affiliate in the Southern League.
Cowles played three games with the Yankees’ Triple-A, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2023. He also appeared in 20 games with Mesa of the Arizona Fall League.
OTHER NEWS: Penfield’s Gage Ziehl announced (via Instagram) on Monday that he signed with the New York Yankees.
Both Cowles and Ziehl played in the Upstate Baseball League.
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