Cubs benched Soler multiple times last season over lack of hustle

The Chicago Cubs decided this offseason that Jorge Soler wasn't to be a part of their future plans, and one of the reasons might have been revealed.

During a Q&A session at the Cubs Convention, Vice President of Player Development Jason McLeod was asked by a fan how the team handles players who don't hustle during games.

"Coaches get on guys all the time. There are a few times throughout the year where a player will get pulled out of the game," McLeod replied, according to Tony Adracki of Chicago CSN.

"This is not trying to harp on 'Georgie' at all, but he got yanked a couple of times last year for not hustling out to the outfield, for not running down the line."

The player McLeod refers to as "Georgie" is in fact Soler, who despite possessing a significant amount of skill, was called out for his hustle or lack thereof multiple times last season - particularly in Game 3 of the World Series in the Cubs' 1-0 loss, according to a previous report from Chicago CSN's Patrick Mooney.

That turned out to be Soler's last action as a member of the Cubs, as the talented 24-year-old was traded to the Kansas City Royals for closer Wade Davis in December.

Soler has struggled with injuries early in his career, appearing in only 70 games on average in three seasons. He was limited to 86 games last season due to leg injuries. When healthy, he displayed some power at the plate, hitting .238/.333/.436 with 12 home runs and 31 RBIs.