The Chicago Cubs are in a situation where they might be forced to part with a player they would rather keep. That is the case with Matt Szczur, who turned a corner for the team in 2016, but was left off the playoff roster.
Szczur was drafted by the Cubs in the fifth round of the June 2010 draft and made his big-league debut in August 2014. Szczur has now spent parts of the last three seasons with the big-league club, meaning he is out of options. If he does not crack the 25-man roster, the Cubs would be forced to release him and it’s very unlikely that he would clear waivers.