Right-handed pitcher Javier Assad will officially be back for the 2026 season after the Chicago Cubs tendered his contract on Friday afternoon. This was a no-brainer move for the front office, considering Assad is entering the first year of arbitration.

The 28-year-old has also shown some promise in his short career. He had a 3.11 ERA and 30 strikeouts in his first nine appearances (eight starts) back during his rookie season in 2022. Assad then broke out the following year with a 3.05 ERA and 94 strikeouts across 32 games (10 starts) for the Cubs.

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Those solid numbers continued into 2024, as Assad was a reliable backend rotation arm during this season. He finished with a 3.73 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 147 innings pitched.

The Mexican native won’t blow you away with his numbers on the mound. He won’t strike out a ton of batters, averages just 92.2 mph on his four-seam fastball, and his metrics are never elite. However, Assad continues to do his job on the mound.

Although he missed the entire first half of the 2025 season due to an oblique strain, Assad thrived in a variety of roles with the Cubs this past year. He made eight appearances (seven starts) and finished another season with a sub-3.75 ERA.

But what will Assad’s role look like in 2026?

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With Shota Imanaga accepting the one-year qualifying offer and Justin Steele returning at some point in the first half, Assad’s role remains uncertain. On top of that, the Cubs might still be in the market for a top-of-the-line starting pitcher this offseason.

So, Assad might not see many opportunities as a starting pitcher next season. As it stands now, the Cubs will roll out Imanaga, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Colin Rea as their starters to begin the year. Then, Steele will be added to this rotation once he is healthy enough to return.

That means Cubs fans could expect Assad to be more of a multi-inning reliever out of the bullpen next year. In his one game in that role last year, he threw 2 ⅓ shutout innings with two walks and one strikeout in a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on September 14.

Pitching in a multi-inning role out of the bullpen is nothing new for the right-hander. He was primarily in that role back in 2023, where he had a 3.07 ERA and 52 strikeouts across 55 ⅔ innings pitched as a reliever.

Whatever role Assad finds himself in next season, he should continue to provide solid numbers on the mound.