Assad and the Cubs agreed to a one-year, $1.8 million deal to avoid arbitration Thursday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Assad was eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career, and he'll get a $1 million raise relative to his 2025 salary. He missed most of last year with an oblique injury and looks likely to begin the new campaign working out of the bullpen, barring significant injuries to the Cubs' rotation.