Big picture, Cubs are thinking World Series: Explaining the Assad decision, plan for Palencia

Posted August 22, 2026 10:55 am

By Patrick Mooney

SEATTLE — Javier Assad has to wear it. A major-league clubhouse is a unique workplace, but like any job, it comes with answering to bosses, making compromises and dealing with personnel decisions that might seem unfair. It all matters because the Chicago Cubs are built to win the World Series this year.

Assad has been a glue guy for an overachieving pitching staff wracked by injuries, going 6-1 with a 3.46 ERA over 83⅓ innings. Within those 22 appearances, the Cubs are 9-1 in his starts, and the Mexican right-hander has also notched two saves, covering all sorts of situations in his hybrid role.

The Cubs still optioned Assad to Triple A as the corresponding roster move to activate hard-throwing reliever Daniel Palencia before Friday’s 6-5 walk-off loss to the Seattle Mariners in the 10th inning at T-Mobile Park. Rather than cut a pitcher loose, the Cubs are using the third of their five in-season contractual options to send Assad to Iowa.

“Look, the way Javy’s pitched definitely doesn’t warrant going to the minor leagues,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “The other decisions mean we lose the pitcher forever.”

This is essentially the same call the Cubs made last weekend, preserving depth when Assad was optioned to Iowa and David Peterson was moved to the bullpen to accommodate Edward Cabrera, whose blister issue resurfaced during a noncompetitive start against the St. Louis Cardinals.

When Cabrera returned to the injured list the next day, the Cubs recalled Assad, and Peterson got four key outs in a 10-inning comeback win over the Chicago White Sox. The following night at Wrigley Field, when Cubs starter Kevin Gausman exited with a cramp in his left/non-pitching hand, Assad entered and threw three scoreless innings, helping position his team for another walk-off win over the White Sox.

“Giving the players the direct information — whether it’s good news, bad news — has always been the most effective way for me,” Counsell said. “They know how I’m thinking, how the team is thinking, and then they get to choose their response. The vast majority of players want to do the right thing. They know they have to earn the things that they get.

“They know there’s rules that we all have to operate within. You don’t always get the exact news that you’re going to want to get. They’re used to that. If you get to this place, you’ve experienced that. You’ve gone through it. You’ve overcome it. It’s part of being a good competitor. It’s part of being a professional athlete.

“We’re also getting to a point in the year where you understand that we’re trying to do something that’s really hard to do. It’s going to require some kind of special effort from each one of us.”

The consensus from the public projection systems is that the Cubs will be a playoff team. Entering this weekend, Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus set Chicago’s chances to make the postseason at 98.5%, 98.7% and 98.9%.

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s MVP campaign has elevated the entire group. Seiya Suzuki looks like he’ll be the No. 1 hitter on the free-agent market this offseason. Alex Bregman, who hit two home runs against the Mariners, is living up to his big contract. With Gold Glove winners all over the field, the Cubs feature the sport’s best defense.

Counsell’s coaching staff keeps finding solutions, working around injuries that shredded the preseason pitching plans. Jed Hoyer’s front office went on a buying spree before the trade deadline, adding three pitchers (Peterson, Gausman and Clay Holmes) who, combined, have five All-Star selections and 40 postseason appearances on their resumes.

Rehabbing pitchers Ben Brown and Justin Steele threw live batting practice Friday in Arizona, taking steps forward as they try to make it back to Wrigley Field in time to force their way into the playoff roster discussions.

Palencia — a breakout performer for the Cubs in last year’s postseason and Team Venezuela’s closer during its World Baseball Classic championship run this spring — is another X-factor.

With that big-game experience and a 100 mph fastball, Palencia can add another dimension to a bullpen that relies on its defense and game-planning system — assuming he can get back into a rhythm after throwing only 16⅔ innings this season and missing months of game action with a strained left oblique and right elbow inflammation.

Counsell views getting Palencia consistent work over the final five weeks as a must. Trailing by two runs in Friday night’s seventh inning, the Cubs gave him the top of Seattle’s lineup, and he neutralized Brendan Donovan (groundball), Randy Arozarena (strikeout swinging) and Dominic Canzone (strikeout looking).

“I feel like a new pitcher right now,” Palencia said, reflecting on how much he’s grown since last year’s playoffs, gaining more confidence and conviction in his approach. “I want to keep attacking the hitters. I just want to be the ‘Gasolina.’ You know, just throwing heat.”

Palencia’s entrance music and light show, featuring Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina,” have not been in heavy rotation at Wrigley Field this season, but the Cubs have kept rolling. In Palencia’s absence, Jacob Webb took over as Chicago’s closer, riding a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless appearances. Besides Webb, Palencia and Assad, 10 other pitchers have earned at least one save for the Cubs, a sign of their adaptability.

Back in Chicago’s rotation (at least for now), Peterson will start Saturday opposite Seattle’s Kade Anderson, the baseball industry’s top pitching prospect, who will be making his major-league debut. Knowing how well Assad has handled the back-and-forth throughout his professional career, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in the mix soon. And in a special season, Palencia will do whatever he’s asked.

“I’m 100% open,” Palencia said. “I’m here to help my team. I’m open to every opportunity. I just want to pitch. I want to be that guy you can trust.”