3 aging Cubs prospects approaching last chance to make roster as September call-ups loom

Recent painful series losses aside, the Chicago Cubs are wrapping up the month of August in strong position to make it to the postseason. September will be their final opportunity to try and catch the Brewers for the NL Central crown, but it also represents an opportunity for some of the lesser-known players in the organization as rosters expand. No longer can teams bring up their entire 40-man roster for the stretch run as they were allowed to do in the past, but an extra pitcher and an extra hitter will do.

Rosters expanding from 26 to 28 might seem relatively inconsequential for a team with playoff odds sitting in the upper nineties, and fans might be more interested in debating who should start game one of a playoff series of dreaming on the latest ace pitcher coming out of Japan this winter. For players trying to break into the majors, however, September can be the most exciting time of year. It's especially true for older prospects, who are often running out of time to enter their prime in MLB.

The Cubs are no strangers to prospects who get attention early in their careers but don't end up making an impact. Kevin Alcantara is in his final option year and can barely find a start at Wrigley Field as he shuttles between Triple-A and the big league bench. Of course, Alcantara isn't truly a prospect at this point, but there are a number of prospects even older than him at Triple-A who are still waiting to make the majors. Could September 1st be the day for one or two of them? A look at some options:

Can B.J. Murray switch-hit his way onto the Cubs' roster?

The 15th-rounder of the Cubs' 2021 draft, infielder B.J. Murray is poised to celebrate his 27th birthday this coming offseason. That's getting old for a prospect, to be sure, but the good news for Murray is that he's raking at Triple-A at just the right time. So far this year, he's slashed .296/.400/.494 across 115 games with Iowa. That's been good for a 128 wRC+, even in the International League's inflated offensive environment this year.

That's awfully impressive, and it could make plenty of sense for the Cubs to call him up to round out their bench mix come September 1st. Of course, it's unclear how the team's loss of Dansby Swanson to the injured list, (and subsequent addition of Gabriel Arias on waivers) will impact their interest in adding another infielder like Murray to the bench mix. Murray mostly plays the infield corners, and would be an option to spell Michael Busch at first or compete with Michael Conforto at DH.

Ben Cowles's time on the 40-man roster is likely up for good

While Murray might prove to be an inspired September call-up option for the Cubs, there's little reason to have that same optimism regarding infield prospect Ben Cowles. Initially acquired alongside Jack Neely in the Mark Leiter Jr. trade, Cowles joined the Cubs' 40-man roster at one point but found himself bouncing between organizations on the waiver wire before finally getting outrighted to Iowa earlier this year.

Cowles has been playing at Triple-A, but his numbers aren't anything to write home about. His .251/.330/.391 slash line through 97 games this year is very disappointing, good for a wRC+ of just 83. While Cowles is a versatile defender with the speed to steal 15 to 20 bases a season, that's just not enough to justify giving him a roster spot with better options like Alcantrara or even Justin Dean available.

Is Kohl Franklin finally healthy enough to dazzle in the majors?

As for the pitching side of things, there's one prospect who stands out as an exciting potential September call-up besides Jaxon Wiggins. That would be longtime Cubs prospect Kohl Franklin, who the Cubs drafted in the sixth round all the way back in 2018. Franklin's been sidelined by injuries for much of his career, and his eight appearances this year across all levels of the minors is the most he's been able to muster since 2023.

That might make Franklin seem like a curious arm to bet on, but he's long been heralded as one of the most talented arms in the Cubs organization. This year, he's finally healthy and showing it at the upper levels. That includes a 2.70 ERA with a strikeout rate north of 25% across four starts for the Iowa Cubs. The rotation is obviously full, but Franklin could help a beleaguered Cubs bullpen that has had a rough go in recent weeks.

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