The Cubs made the decision to option Javier Assad to Triple-A Iowa despite his strong season, but the move makes sense when considering Chicago's crowded rotation, minor league options, and Assad's ability to stay stretched out in the minors.
Prior to Sunday afternoon's rubber match with the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs returned right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera from the injured list.
In the corresponding move, right-handed pitcher Javier Assad was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.
On the surface, that's a move that might confuse many Cubs fans. Assad has been an unsung hero for this 2026 Cubs team and, quite frankly, has been an underrated performer ever since he debuted with Chicago back in 2022. Over 21 appearances and 10 starts for the 2026 Cubs, Assad is 6-1 with a 3.59 ERA over 80.1 innings pitched. Whether in the starting rotation or in a long relief role, Assad has stepped up and done the job, especially since Cabrera went down.
Cabrera first landed on the IL with a left hamstring strain back on June 24. Since the start of July, Javier Assad has pitched to a 1.88 ERA, with the Cubs holding a 7-1 record in games he has entered.
So why send down one of your most productive pitchers?
Why Option Javier Assad?
It's a combination of the difficult roster crunch and what pitching in Triple-A Iowa can do for Assad logistically.
The Cubs needed to move on from one of their stretched-out pitchers. Cabrera's return gives them a six-man rotation without even factoring Assad or Colin Rea into things. Trade deadline acquisitions Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes have both shown flashes since joining the team, joining Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and David Peterson, who has been very solid with a 2.14 ERA over his last six starts.
Adding Cabrera to the rotation allows the Cubs to keep their starters fresh, give everyone extra days of rest, and make sure fatigue isn't a problem heading toward the postseason. That's some pretty essential depth.
Then there's the minor league options aspect of it all. Bringing back Cabrera makes it necessary for the Cubs to move on from one of their multi-inning relief options. You'd like to preserve your high-leverage bullpen arms as much as possible. So it's natural to look at Assad, Colin Rea, or someone like Aaron Civale. Civale and Rea have both done a decent job for the Cubs this season, but there can be no debate that Assad is the best pitcher of the bunch.
Sometimes in baseball, though, being the best pitcher means very little.
Civale and Rea do not have minor league options remaining. If the Cubs were to move on from either one of them, they'd be forced to designate them for assignment and would likely lose them to waivers at this point in the MLB season.
By optioning Assad, the Cubs maintain their organizational depth should they need to call upon someone for innings in the near future. And with Assad going to Triple-A, he'll also have the ability to stay stretched out. That might not have been possible had he settled into a more locked-in bullpen role behind Chicago's six-man rotation.
Now, it's still possible that Ben Brown's return from the IL leads to a DFA for one of Civale or Rea, likely Civale in my opinion. But it does make sense for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office to want to maintain their depth for as long as possible. Assuming Assad is the next man up if another starting pitcher goes down, it also makes sense for him to stay ready by logging innings in Triple-A.
It's not entirely fair because Assad undoubtedly deserves a spot on the Cubs roster. But it's also the most logical move for the Cubs to make right now as they figure out what the future of this starting rotation looks like.
