The Chicago Cubs’ 2026 season is over, the Wild Card sweep is in the books, and the focus has already shifted to what comes next. As the front office starts reshaping the roster, one of the quieter bright spots from last year is still firmly in the picture: Javier Assad.
Even after the Cubs declined his $3.3 million team option, Assad remains under club control through 2029. That gives Chicago room to move money around elsewhere, but it also keeps one of its most dependable arms in the fold.
Assad put together one of the more overlooked seasons on the roster. In 28 appearances and 94.1 innings, he finished with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Over his five seasons with the Cubs, he’s been steady almost by definition, carrying a 3.47 ERA in 106 games since his debut in 2022.
This past year, he had to navigate a pitching staff that kept breaking down around him. The Cubs optioned and recalled him four different times, and several of those moves were tied to stretching him out so he could help cover for injuries in the rotation.
“The way Javy's pitched definitely doesn't warrant going to the minor leagues ... In Javy's case, he's there in case someone gets hurt.
That's what this is really about. Preserving depth.”
The results were hard to ignore. Chicago went 21-7 in Assad’s appearances and 10-1 in his 11 starts. He posted a 3.49 ERA as a starter and went 4-1 in those outings.
There’s reason to wonder what he can do with a more stable season and fewer interruptions. Assad was excellent in 2025 as well, turning in a 3.18 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP, but he was limited to just eight appearances late in the year because of an oblique strain that had started bothering him in April. Then came the constant shuffling in 2026, which never really let him settle into a rhythm.
However the Cubs deploy him, Assad looks set for a larger role in 2027. That becomes even more relevant with Colin Rea expected to depart after filling a similar role in his latest stint with the club.
Chicago still has bigger pitching needs to chase, especially the velocity and swing-and-miss it has been missing for years. Assad doesn’t fill that lane. But he’s still the kind of arm a team leans on, and the Cubs are going to need plenty of that next season.
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One of those ripple effects is Zyhir Hope, who has quickly grown into a top prospect in the Dodgers system and gives Los Angeles a long-term piece to dream on. Jackson Ferris has taken a tougher path in the minors, though he did show improvement late in 2026 and could still factor into the Dodgers bullpen down the road, leaving this trade looking like one the Cubs may want to revisit in hindsight even if Busch remains an important part of their lineup. [Read more 🡒]