Matt Szczur

Szczur hit .227/.358/.364 in 214 plate appearances with San Diego after an early-season trade from Chicago, good for a 101 wRC+ overall. He wasn't nearly as good at home, however, posting a 76 wRC+ at Petco Park. Regardless, Szczur will return to San Diego in 2018 and likely fill a bench spot -- his limited playing time will keep him from being an asset in most formats. He will need to perform capably as a fill-in when called upon to avoid losing out on at-bats to Alex Dickerson and Franchy Cordero. His primary offensive value came through his strong 14.3 percent walk rate, as his average and home-run total were both quite low. Now 28 years old, it's hard to imagine that there is another level coming from Szczur in a part-time role.

Szczur spent most of 2016 as a late-inning bench option for the Cubs, getting just 200 plate appearances over 107 games. He hit a respectable .259 but displayed neither speed nor power with just two steals and five home runs. Szczur did steal 50 bases between 2014-2015 with Triple-A Iowa and the Cubs didn't run much as a team last year, but it's easy to wonder if his speed is diminishing with age. The Cubs' outfield still looks awfully crowded with Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Jay and Albert Almora Jr. all likely ahead of Szczur in the hunt for playing time. If the 2016 playoffs are any indication of what the Cubs will look like in 2017, that would certainly be bad for Szczur, who didn't even make the playoff roster. It would likely take a slew of injuries for Szczur to see regular major league playing time, severely limiting his fantasy potential for 2017.

Szczur rode the shuttle between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa for most of the season, with predictable results at both stops. Though he hit well in Iowa, his sporadic playing time in the big leagues led to just a .611 OPS in 47 games. Once upon a time he was a decent prospect, but he's shown little promise of being a major-league regular. If he spends time with the Cubs this year, it'll likely be as a fifth outfielder or pinch runner (he has 140 stolen bases in the minors). Chances are, he will open the season back at Iowa.

Szczur finally made his MLB debut in August and hit two home runs in limited action. Strangely enough, he didn't attempt a stolen base after stealing 30 with Triple-A Iowa earlier in the year. Though he hit the two home runs with the Cubs, he doesn't have a lot of pop. If he makes the team this year, it'll be as a fifth outfielder and pinch runner. Hopefully new manager Joe Maddon will let him steal a base if the situation presents itself.

Szczur spent all of last season with Double-A Tennessee, and while his numbers improved a little bit, a .717 OPS for a 24-year-old in his second go-round at the level is not going to cut it. He has speed, so he could be a potential fantasy asset, but there have been a lot of guys like him, and plenty of them never made a mark in the majors. Szczur's window is closing fast.

The athletic outfielder had a far better showing in his second go-around at High-A, slashing .295/.394/.407 in 295 at-bats. He managed just two home runs, however, and then struggled in a 143-at-bat promotion to Double-A. Expect him to begin the season there, but he could move quickly if he shows he can handle the level as Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus are both injury prone and available via trade, and Brett Jackson seemed overmatched in his first major league action. More likely, though, Szczur spends most of the season in the high minors before getting a callup in September.

Szczur is a terrific all-around athlete, makes good contact and steals bases, but as a 21-year-old he struggled in 173 High-A at-bats. Nonetheless, he had a strong showing at Low-A and was placed on the team's 40-man roster in November. He's still raw, but a strong showing in 2012 could put him in the mix for an outfield job sometime in 2013.