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  "publishedAt": "2026-02-13T01:34:14.144Z",
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  "textContent": "<p>MESA, Ariz. — The <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> entered spring training with nine new relievers on the roster, including those who signed minor-league deals with major-league camp invitations.</p><p>“Each of the guys we brought in our pitching group and our acquisitions group is excited about the potential upside of those guys,” general manager Carter Hawkins said this week. “And which one will be the next guy that hits, which one's the guy that's going to be throwing in the sixth, seventh inning and high leverage situations for us, we don't know yet. But we feel really confident that out of the group, there's some guys that are going to hit that way.”</p><p>The guy called on in save situations, however, will likely be one of the few returning relievers. In fact, manager Craig Counsell was surprisingly definitive when asked if right-hander <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/02/11/cubs-catcher-miguel-amaya-poised-for-bounce-back-after-injury-riddled-2025\" >Daniel Palencia would get the ninth inning</a> if the season began the next day.</p><p>“Yeah,” he said.</p><p>It was a sharp turn from his usual go-to answer about “out-getters.” But Counsell’s usual reluctance to define roles comes from years of experience of managing ever-changing bullpen groups.</p><p>“Craig did a really good job in our meeting [Monday], just talking about how our bullpen evolved last year,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said, “and how we have all these guys in camp right now, and how to focus on each guy because we don't know how that's going to shake out. It's a volatile area.”</p><p>Hoyer pointed to Palencia, who went from being left off the 2025 Opening Day roster, to serving as the team’s closer for much of the year.</p><p>“Using that example, we need multiple Daniel Palencias every year to step up to do things that may not have been expected,” Hoyer said. “Because especially the bullpen, there's going to be injuries and poor performance that are going to lead to opportunity.”</p><p>Palencia posted a career-best 2.91 ERA in his breakout 2025 season, almost doubling his previous career-high in innings with 52⅔.</p><p>“Always I knew I was that guy for that situation,” Palencia said this week. “So I just tried to be ready. And last year … the lights, everything, it was awesome for me.”</p><p>Palencia made clear, however, that he was up for any role Counsell decided on. He proved that in the playoffs, when he served as the “fireman,” entering in high leverage no matter the inning.</p><p>Palencia mostly relies on his fastball, which averaged 99.6 mph last season, and splitter. But to continue elevating his game, said he hopes to up the usage of his splitter this year.</p><h3>Hitting the ground running</h3><p>Not taking any time to ease into spring training, Cubs hitters Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, Miguel Amaya and Nico Hoerner all have taken live batting practice in the first two days of camp. Bregman left the complex Thursday morning, however, with an illness.</p><h3>Notes</h3><p>• The Cubs signed right-hander Kyle Wright to a minor-league deal, a source confirmed, and he threw a bullpen at the complex on Thursday. But the team has not yet officially announced his addition.</p><p>• Right-hander Javier Assad, after his arrival was delayed by visa issues, was in camp on Thursday.</p><p>• Right-handed pitcher Trent Thornton, who is behind in his build-up after tearing his Achilles in August, threw a bullpen on Thursday.</p><bsp-listcarousel class=\"PageListE\" data-module data-column-count=3 data-hide-authors=\"true\" data-hide-categories=\"true\" data-hide-dates=\"true\" data-hide-descriptions=\"true\" data-show-loadmore=\"true\" ><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"list-c90005\" name=\"list-c90005\"></a><div class=\"PageList-header\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title-wrap\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" target=\"{borderColor=#dfdfdf, pageNumber=1, titleUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, inverseColors=false, footerBgColor=#000000, title=Latest on the Cubs, bodyFont=font-3, showListNumbers=false, imagePositionHorizontal=null, 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  "title": "Cubs' Daniel Palencia in position to reclaim closer role amid bullpen churn",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-13T02:10:47.256Z"
}