{"id":152063,"date":"2026-02-12T16:17:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:17:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=152063"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:17:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:17:21","slug":"cubs-name-daniel-palencia-closer-but-counsells-reason-stuns-reporters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=152063","title":{"rendered":"Cubs Name Daniel Palencia Closer But Counsells Reason Stuns Reporters"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

IMAGE: Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. \/ Mark J. Rebilas \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n

Daniel Palencia Poised to Open Season as Cubs\u2019 Closer – But in Craig Counsell\u2019s Bullpen, Nothing\u2019s Set in Stone<\/strong><\/p>\n

**MESA, Ariz. ** – You don\u2019t usually get a straight answer from Craig Counsell when it comes to bullpen roles.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just not how he operates – and for good reason. Bullpens are fluid by nature, and Counsell has long embraced that unpredictability.<\/p>\n

So when he was asked whether Daniel Palencia would be the guy in the ninth inning if the season started tomorrow, his simple \u201cYeah\u201d turned more than a few heads.<\/p>\n

Counsell even joked with the media afterward: \u201cNice scoop.\u201d<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing – it actually was<\/em> a scoop, because Counsell rarely tips his hand this early. And while it\u2019s far from a long-term declaration, it speaks volumes about how far Palencia has come, and how the Cubs are thinking about their bullpen heading into 2026.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s rewind for a second. The Cubs didn\u2019t go out and land a big-name closer this offseason.<\/p>\n

No Devin Williams. No Robert Suarez.<\/p>\n

Instead, they opted to retool the bullpen with solid arms and internal growth. That\u2019s part of why Palencia getting the early nod isn\u2019t shocking – but it is intriguing.<\/p>\n

This time last year, Ryan Pressly was penciled in as the closer. By May, he was out of the role.<\/p>\n

By July, he was off the roster. Meanwhile, Brad Keller, who came in as a non-roster invitee, turned into a key piece and pitched his way into a two-year, $22 million deal with the Phillies.<\/p>\n

And Palencia? He didn\u2019t even make the Opening Day roster.<\/p>\n

Fast forward a few months, and he was closing games at Wrigley.<\/p>\n

\u201cCraig did a really good job in our meeting talking about how the bullpen evolved last year,\u201d team president Jed Hoyer said. \u201cWe have all these guys in camp now; we have to focus on each guy.<\/p>\n

Because we don\u2019t know how it\u2019s going to shake out. It\u2019s a volatile area.\u201d<\/p>\n

That volatility is exactly why Palencia\u2019s rise is so notable. Entering last season, he had a 5.02 ERA over 43 big-league innings.<\/p>\n

The fastball was electric – routinely hitting triple digits – but the command was all over the place. A walk rate near 14% kept him from being a reliable option.<\/p>\n

But something changed last spring. Palencia came into camp looking sharper, stronger, and more focused.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t break with the team, but he didn\u2019t stay down long. By mid-April, he was back in the bullpen.<\/p>\n

By May, he was closing games.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just trying to be ready for anything,\u201d Palencia said. \u201cIf he needs me for the fifth or the ninth, I\u2019ll be there. My job is making outs; that\u2019s what I\u2019m going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

That mindset paid off. Palencia finished the year with a 2.91 ERA and 22 saves across 52 2\/3 innings. He struck out 28.4% of the batters he faced and trimmed his walk rate to 7.4% – a dramatic improvement that turned him into one of the most reliable arms in the pen.<\/p>\n

There was a hiccup in September – a rough outing on the 7th led to a stint on the injured list. When he returned, his role shifted. But come playoff time, he was back in high-leverage spots, often used as a multi-inning fireman – the kind of flexible, high-stakes role Counsell loves to deploy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one sitting here a year ago thought that he\u2019d be pitching as a closer, pitching huge innings in the middle of the game in the playoffs,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cHe did an amazing job.<\/p>\n

I think his maturation was obvious to everyone. We\u2019re super excited about him.<\/p>\n

But the key is using that example; we need multiple Daniel Palencias every year to step up.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the reality of bullpen life in today\u2019s game. You need depth.<\/p>\n

You need surprises. And you need guys who can evolve on the fly.<\/p>\n

Counsell knows that April is often about figuring out roles. But even with some turnover – Andrew Kittredge, Keller, and Drew Pomeranz are gone; Phil Maton, Jacob Webb, Hunter Harvey, and Hoby Milner are in – he sees a group that\u2019s more established than it may seem.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe players that we signed, I don\u2019t think we\u2019re thinking about a lot of new things,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cThey\u2019re good at what they do.<\/p>\n

Prioritizing their health over the course of the spring is job number one and the foundation of being healthy. There\u2019s always going to be surprises in that area of your team.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, Palencia is the guy in the ninth. Whether he holds onto that role all season remains to be seen – but he\u2019s earned the shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned that\u2019s a tough situation,\u201d Palencia said of closing. \u201cThe game is on the line.<\/p>\n

Just trying to be calm, be myself. Trust myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always knew I was that guy. I know I\u2019m that guy for that situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cubs are counting on it – and if the past year taught us anything, it\u2019s that Palencia has the mindset and the stuff to back it up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IMAGE: Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. \/ Mark J. Rebilas \/ Imagn Images Daniel… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152064,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nCubs Name Daniel Palencia Closer But Counsells Reason Stuns Reporters - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=152063\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cubs Name Daniel Palencia Closer But Counsells Reason Stuns Reporters - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"IMAGE: Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. \/ Mark J. 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