Top Cubs player could surprisingly be on the chopping block

The Chicago Cubs definitely need an ace in their starting rotation, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have excessive dept in their pitching staff.

The Cubs are actually pretty loaded with good arms, so much so that someone will probably have to be the odd man out in 2026, especially if Chicago adds a big-name pitcher this winter. Could that unlucky pitcher be the ever-reliable Javier Assad?

Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib thinks so, questioning if Assad — who missed the vast majority of this past season due to an oblique injury — may be falling out of favor with Cubs brass.

“Unlike [Ben] Brown’s ability to miss bats, the Cubs may not believe in Javier Assad’s pitching profile anymore,” Campbell wrote. “That is likely one of the reasons why he was kept off the team’s playoff roster. Assad has minor league options remaining, and for that reason, he still has value to the Cubs. But another addition to the major league pitching staff will push him even further down the totem pole.”

Well, it’s also possible that Assad was left off the playoff roster because he only made seven starts in 2025, but it also stands to reason that Assad’s 5.6 K/9 rate over 37 innings of work was also rather unseemly for Chicago.

Could the Chicago Cubs trade Javier Assad?

Assad hit the big leagues back in 2022 and has been a dependable hurler for the Cubbies ever since, tallying a 3.43 ERA over 78 appearances and 54 starts.

Yes, his peripherals aren’t great. He owns a lifetime 4.46 FIP, 1.329 WHIP and 1.99 K/BB ratio. However, regardless of how questionable his other numbers look, you can’t argue with results, and Assad has been mostly impressive for the Cubs since entering the majors.

He is still just 28 years old and would definitely have value in trade talks, so perhaps Chicago could actually move him and get something decent in return for the right-hander.

An area in which Assad truly excels is inducing ground balls, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that the sinker is his top pitch. It’s also why he is able to hang around in spite of not racking up strikeouts (career 7.4 K/9).

The Cubs may have to be careful what they wish for here, as Assad has been a reliable piece for several years running. But if they can find an intriguing trade package for him, they may decide to move him before the 2026 campaign.

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