Chicago Cubs: 5 Players in Serious Danger of Being Cut or Demoted

The focus tends to be on who will make the team in spring training for most teams. For the Chicago Cubs, most of that appears to be set. However, there are a couple of position battles that should be intriguing. Unfortunately for some, losing these battles could mean starting the season in Triple-A or looking for a job this summer.

With spring training games set to get underway soon, many Cubs players, young and old, have plenty to prove. Based on the situation they're in, here are five players who could be cut or demoted if they don't really impress this spring.

LHP Tsuyoshi Wada

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Even though Wada signed a major league contract in the offseason, he's not a lock to make the team. If he loses the fifth starter battle, the Cubs could still use him in the bullpen, but that's by no means a certainty. He really impressed last season, but he has to keep that up in the spring.

Since there's so much competition for the fifth starter spot, Wada will find himself the odd man out if he doesn't perform at a high level again. Of course, if he doesn't make the team, the Cubs will have to cut him, which they may not be so inclined to do.

LHP Felix Doubront

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Doubront is even more likely than Wada to not make the team because he still has minor league options. He could be sent down to the minors, whereas Wada could not. However, Doubront has more experience out of the bullpen than Wada does, so that could keep him on the major league roster.

Seemingly not in the fifth starter race, though, Doubront will have to really perform well in the spring. He showed flashes of brilliance while with the Boston Red Sox, so there's no reason he can't do the same in Chicago. However, this spring could be his last chance to prove his worth to the Cubs.

RF Ryan Sweeney

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With plenty of young outfielders on the horizon, Ryan Sweeney could be on his way out after this upcoming season anyway. If a young guy like Matt Szczur plays well, he could snag Sweeney's roster spot as a fourth/fifth outfielder.

Szczur has a lot of upside, and the team knows what they're getting in Sweeney. Especially since he couldn't stay healthy last season, it's unlikely the team has much confidence in his ability to stay on the field. Unless he really impresses this spring, there's a chance the Cubs could decide to expedite the process of getting rid of Sweeney.

RHP Jacob Turner

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Jacob Turner hasn't been getting much love from the media in terms of being a realistic contender for the fifth starter spot. If Travis Wood is traded, he should absolutely be in the mix. Should he not win that fifth starter spot, though, there's a good chance the Cubs will try to develop him in the minor leagues.

He's still just 23 years old and has plenty to improve on. It seems like the Cubs look at him as more of a project, so perhaps they will keep him in the minors for another year and see what he can bring to the table next season.

3B Mike Olt

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Mike Olt should be one of the Cubs' bench hitters come Opening Day, but that doesn't mean he will be. If he doesn't show the team an improved plate approach and the ability to put the bat on the ball, he's not likely to be on that Opening Day roster, especially since the team now has Tommy La Stella, who can put the bat on the ball consistently.

Olt has great power upside, which makes him an ideal bat off the bench, but he can't walk a tightrope around the Mendoza Line again if he hopes to be in the big leagues in 2015.

He is one of the Cubs with the most to prove in the spring. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this spring is his last chance to prove to the team that he's a key piece of its future.