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In the latest round of spring training roster cuts, the Chicago Cubs somewhat shockingly optioned Kyle Ryan. The southpaw had an obvious decline in his 2020 campaign after a moderately successful 2019, but he seemed like a shoo-in for the Opening Day roster as a good, soft-contact-inducing compliment to the whiff-heavy lefty Andrew Chafin.
The Cubs obviously felt that Ryan needed more time to work to get himself closer to his 2019 form, and with an already crowded bullpen, decided to use his remaining options to their advantage. While this line of thinking is understandable, it creates a dilemma in the bullpen.