"For as much as I really do appreciate Craig Counsell as manager of the Chicago Cubs, he has one quirk that always rubs me the wrong way. And that's when he refuses to identify the roles of any pitcher, particularly relievers, electing instead to label them all as "out-getters." It's like, yeah, I get what you mean (and you're not wrong to operate that way), but can you just answer the question?"
"On the one hand, I can't shake how similar the experience feels to each of the last two seasons with Adbert Alzolay and Porter Hodge. Both guys emerged as key late-inning/high-leverage relievers out of necessity midseason (2023 for Alzolay, 2024 for Hodge), finally putting all of their promise together while becoming the obvious choice for closer heading into the winter. Unfortunately, both guys lost it in the subsequent year and flaked out almost entirely."
Craig Counsell named Daniel Palencia the Cubs' closer heading into 2026. Palencia handled the role for most of last season and pitched well, though he shifted to high-leverage middle innings during the playoffs. Brad Keller and Andrew Kittredge, who factored into late-game roles, are no longer on the roster, reopening the ninth-inning job. The move prompts cautious optimism because Adbert Alzolay (2023) and Porter Hodge (2024) similarly emerged midseason as late-inning options only to regress the following year. The designation restores a clear closer role but carries concern about sustainability.
Read at Bleacher Nation
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