Most of the attention ahead of Thursday's arbitration deadline was focused on Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera - and rightfully so. Chicago Cubs fans are anxious to see Steele back on the mound after he missed most of the 2025 season and Cabrera, the team's newest rotation addition, is the talk of the town right now.
But later on Thursday, Maddie Lee of the Sun-Times gave us a third, and final, piece of the puzzle, with the Cubs agreeing to a $1.8 million deal with right-hander Javier Assad.
The Cubs have avoided arbitration with RHP Edward Cabrera ($4.