The Cubs tendered contracts to half their arbitration-eligible players before the deadline Friday, promising deals to left-hander Justin Steele and right-hander Javier Assad for 2026. They non-tendered catcher Reese McGuire and reliever Eli Morgan, making them free agents. All four decisions were predictable.
Steele and Assad both missed large chunks of last season due to injury, but they showed continued promise when they were on the mound.
Steele is on track to return from his April elbow surgery early next season. And when he does so, he’s expected to be a headlining member of the Cubs’ rotation.
Assad didn’t make his 2025 season debut until mid-August, due to consecutive oblique strains. But he posted a 3.65 ERA in eight appearances and has proven capable in both a starting and relief role.
Next, the Cubs have to agree to terms with Steele and Assad before the January deadline, or else swap figures for a later arbitration hearing.
Though McGuire’s free agency was expected – he was the third string backstop behind Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly – his performance for the Cubs last season put him on the radar for teams looking to improve their depth at catcher.
Filling in for an injured Amaya for much of the year, after initially joining the club as a non-roster invitee last spring, McGuire hit nine home runs and recorded a .688 OPS in 44 major-league appearances.
Morgan, who the Cubs acquired a year ago from the Guardians, allowed 10 runs in seven major-league relief outings. He landed on the IL in April with an inflamed ulnar nerve in his right elbow. He didn’t pitch again in the majors the rest of the year.
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