Skip to main content
Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Demote Top Prospect Two Days Before Opening Day

Chicago is finalizing their roster, and a lot of moves will be made in the coming days , but the one they made today comes as quite of a shock.
Maddy Dickens|
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Cubs

It isn't anything uncommon for players to be optioned at this time of year. Opening Day is two days away, and roster moves have to be finalized for every organization, including the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs announced today, ahead of their first game of the year, that one of their best outfield prospects, Kevin Alcántara, has been demoted to Triple-A Iowa.

Alcántara played in 13 games during spring training, where he batted .275 with nearly a hit every game to complement a pair of doubles, a homer, and four runners brought home. His 14 strikeouts stand out more than anything, but with Seiya Suzuki starting the year on the injured list, Chicago is running short on outfielders.

Alcántara wasn't the only one who won't be on the 40-man roster. Yesterday, Craig Counsell announced that pitcher Javier Assad, who has been used as both a starter and a reliever for the ballclub, will also be going to Iowa.

Assad's 2025 season was completely demolished by a severe, re-aggravated left oblique strain, but he was excelling in Spring training.

The now 28-year-old had made three appearances and pitched nearly seven innings, allowing only one run and a 1.35 ERA to complement more than a strikeout an inning.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

As Jameson Taillon had a disastrous spring (17+ ERA, 26 total earned runs, 10 homers, and 9 batters walked in barely 13 innings), the Cubs could desperately require another arm to step into the swing role as a starter. That could be Assad.

Assad was primarily a starter in both 2024 and 2025, and that's the role he will be hoping to return to after this setback. The door is wide open right now, and he will be eyeing a quick return.

Fans react to Alcántara news

It is always hard to speculate on why the organization does what it does, but fans' opinions are rarely kept to themselves, especially on social media. And not many are happy about the club's decision on Alcántara.

@CookedByJaguar wrote, "admin can you tell jed to maybe reconsider sending down alcantara for me thanks"

Another account that simply discusses the heartbreak of being a Cubs fan posted, "Yea this is definitely the news that every Cubs fan was looking for this morning,"

Both the outfield and pitching staff have major questions heading into the upcoming season, and everyone knows it. But Assad and Alcantara moving down now doesn't mean they won't be back soon.

This organization is ready to win now, and they will find a way to do it. The season kicks off on March 26, and more moves are to come.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

Home/News