Kaleb

Cowart

Cowart hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2019 campaign. He played in just 16 games last year in the Yankees’ minor league system.

Cowart last appeared in the majors with the Angels back in 2019. The 29-year-old former top prospect didn’t appear in a minor league contest last year with the Yankees due to injury.

The 27-year-old former first round pick of the Angels has struggled in his limited chances at the big league level, slashing a putrid .176/.238/.292 with six homers and 34 RBI in 406 plate appearances. Cowart spent most of the 2019 season at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he hit .289/.345/.453 with eight homers and 60 RBI in 85 games. He’s an interesting low-cost depth signing for the Yankees.

Cowart picked up pitching this past season but struggled in the minors. He’ll likely have to settle for a minor league contract on the open market this winter.

Cowart has not made an appearance in the majors in 2019, and it’s a bit surprising to see him added to the roster this late in the year. He’s listed as available as a hitter but not as a pitcher, and he’ll likely just be bench fodder over this final stretch of games. Even if he gets regular playing time, it’d be a mistake to trust him in fantasy.

He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. Cowart has taken up pitching this spring and his transition to the mound will continue at Salt Lake. The 26-year-old is no longer on the Halos’ 40-man roster.

Cowart is supposed to be focusing primarily on pitching this spring, but he drew the start at first base on Monday afternoon and cranked a slam off right-hander Randall Delgado in the top of the fourth inning. Cowart could potentially make the Angels’ roster as a two-way player, though he holds a putrid .177/.241/.293 batting line in parts of four major league seasons.

He will still work out as a position player some, as well. Cowart returned to the Angels this weekend after making short stops with the Mariners and then the Tigers via the waiver process.

The Tigers claimed the infielder-slash-pitcher from the Angels last month, so it’s a reunion of sorts. Cowart was a first-round pick of the Angels who didn’t meet expectations as a position player, so they recently moved him to the mound. A few weeks ago, Tigers assistant general manager David Chadd said Cowart was hitting 91-93 mph with his fastball. It will be interesting, but probably not terribly impactful, to see how the experiment goes.

The Tigers claimed Cowart off waivers from the Mariners last month and plan to give him a shot as a two-way player this spring. He’s already thrown several bullpen sessions and will throw another one in front of pitching coach Rick Anderson on Tuesday. It’s an interesting situation to follow as he enters the spring out of options. Cowart has struggled to hit in the majors, so finding success on the mound could help his chances of sticking.