The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who to Consider Dropping for Fantasy Baseball (Week 9)

The Cut List for Week 9 of 2025. Jamie analyzes potential fantasy baseball busts, overvalued players, and injured players who you may want to consider dropping.

Welcome back to The Cut List as we head into Week 9 of the 2025 season. For every add, there is usually also a drop. For those unfamiliar, this is our weekly article examining players whom fantasy managers might consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who warrant a closer look.

We'll examine players worthy of a drop, those worth monitoring for potential replacements, and individuals on the hot seat who are worth holding onto ... for now. Those of you experienced Cut List readers will know I'm a strong advocate for not making knee-jerk reactions. A bad week or two shouldn't be a reason to push the panic button and dump someone.

As the season rolls on, there will be stronger cases to drop underperforming players. If there's ever someone you want me to take a look at, drop their name on Reddit, the RotoBaller Discord chat rooms, or reach out to me on X (@Baseball_Jimbo). Maybe you'll see them included next week. All stats and rostered rates (taken from Yahoo!) reflect when this piece was written.

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Worth Dropping and Replacing?

Ryan Pressly - RP, Chicago Cubs - 57% rostered

Despite not blowing a save this year, Pressly has found himself removed from the closer role in Chicago. His last save came on April 13, and Pressly's season statline is far from impressive. So it's somewhat surprising that Pressly is still rostered in more leagues than not.

Pressly has a 2-2 W-L record, 5.40 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 10 Ks, and four saves (18 1/3 IP). Since April 1, Pressly has been called from the bullpen 17 times. He's not allowed a run in 16 of those outings. The one time Pressly failed to put up a zero was a horror show.

Pressly allowed nine runs (eight earned runs) without recording an out against the Giants on May 6. Three weeks passed between his last save and that shellacking without Pressly recording a save. That one disastrous outing may have been the catalyst for change in the Cubs' bullpen.

But it wasn't the reason that Pressly could no longer close games. His 12.0% K% ranks in the second percentile, while his 10.8% BB% ranks in the 24th percentile. Pressly's 1.2% K-BB% is the fifth worst of the 194 qualified relievers. Those numbers will impact the Cubs' decision-making.

Pressly also owns a 5.04 xFIP and 4.97 SIERA. Before his nine-run hammering, Pressly had a 2.08 ERA, 5.15 xFIP, and 5.32 SIERA. Some sort of correction was inevitable, even if the May 6 performance was a bit excessive.

Since his last save on April 13, five other Cubs relievers have registered a save. However, they don't have a standout candidate to close games. Daniel Palencia has good numbers and looks most likely to lead the Cubs in saves moving forward. At least until Porter Hodge (oblique) returns from injury.

3 takeaways from Chicago Cubs series win, including Cade Horton’s nasty changeup and Daniel Palencia’s redemptionhttps://t.co/B9VXUsXkor

— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) May 21, 2025

Verdict: Pressly hasn't allowed a run in the six outings since that hammering. He has had a couple of holds since then, and leagues counting holds are the only ones that I'd still consider holding onto Pressly. He may record the odd save throughout the season, but that's not enough to warrant holding.

Brady Singer - SP, Cincinnati Reds - 45% rostered

Singer's first year in Cincinnati hasn't exactly gone according to plan. After 10 starts, he has a 5-3 W-L record, 4.88 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 46 Ks (51 2/3 IP). You'd have thought that moving from Kauffman Stadium to Great American Ball Park would be the obvious cause for that ERA. That's not the case.

Singer has a 3.29 ERA at home (27 1/3 IP) and a 6.66 ERA on the road (24.1 IP). Given that Singer has a 4.64 xFIP at home and 4.12 xFIP away from Cincinnati, the difference in his home and road ERA might just be small sample noise. The real problem Singer has experienced is with his slider.

Last year, Singer's slider had a 35.4% Whiff%. This year, it has a 27.8% Whiff%. That will also help explain why Singer's 20.8% K% is down from 2024 (22.3% K%). Considering Singer predominantly relies on two pitchers (his sinker and slider), when one isn't as effective, it will significantly impact his numbers.

Singer has been using a cutter (11.9%) and four-seam fastball (10.9%) more. Neither of which has been particularly effective. The cutter has .425 xBA (expected batting average) and .665 xSLG against it. Singer has mainly used it against LHH (left-handed hitters), but it might be worth shelving the pitch for now.

If Singer's slider continues to be less effective and his cutter keeps getting hit, there isn't much left in his arsenal. Especially against lefties, who have a .455 SLG against Singer. They also account for six of the seven home runs he's allowed this year.

Verdict: With a 4.39 xFIP and 4.44 SIERA, Singer's ERA isn't too far off those marks. Unless he can start generating more swings-and-misses with his slider, Singer is unlikely to see much improvement in his numbers. That leaves him as only a deeper league streaming option.

Hold For Now

Michael Harris II - OF, Atlanta Braves - 92% rostered

Harris has been teetering on inclusion for some time. After arriving on the scene in 2022, Harris has never quite been able to fulfill the hopes many had for him. That's not to say he hasn't been good. Just not quite as good as hoped. This year, Harris has struggled mightily.

Harris has a .226/.258/.338 .596 slash line with three home runs, 31 RBI, 12 runs, and nine stolen bases. Hardly a statline fantasy managers would have wanted from someone generally drafted in the fifth round. If we look a little deeper, there is reason for optimism.

With a .277 xBA and .407 xSLG, Harris's expected numbers are much better than his actual numbers. The -0.051 difference between Harris's actual and expected batting average is the 20th largest of the 252 qualified hitters.

There's also a good chance we'll see improved performances during the Summer months. May has historically been Harris's worst month statistically throughout his MLB career. Below, we can see some of his numbers per month in the majors.

For whatever reason, Harris struggles to begin the season. May is generally his worst month of the year, and 2025 is no exception. He's hitting .215/.267/.304 this month with a 53 wRC+. That's actually better than his career numbers in May, but still poor.

Harris is worth hanging onto, given the expected numbers and his usual May struggles. If we reach the latter part of June and there are still no signs of things turning around, fantasy managers may need to reconsider whether holding onto the Braves outfielder is worthwhile.

Salvador Perez - C/1B, Kansas City Royals - 89% rostered

If Harris has been unlucky, Perez must've dropped a mirror on a black cat while walking under a ladder. During the year, Perez had three homers, 24 RBI, 10 runs, and no steals, with a .229/.266/.349 slash line. Things are trending towards being the worst full season of Perez's career.

That is, unless his luck turns. Perez has a .294 xBA and .520 xSLG. That makes Perez the fifth unluckiest hitter in terms of his expected and actual batting average, and the unluckiest hitter in MLB in terms of his slugging percentage. That surely won't sustain.

Just a look at his Statcast Profile would suggest that Perez should have considerably better numbers than what we have seen so far.

Perez isn't in the ideal situation, with the Royals' offense being so insipid. They rank tied-27th in runs scored (177), so it's doubtful that Perez can put up a good number of RBI and runs. But ~20 home runs aren't out of the question, and a good batting average over the remainder of 2025 is probable.

The catcher position does not have much fantasy appeal. Illness prevented Perez from immediately building on his 3-for-5 performance on Wednesday. But after sitting out Thursday's contest, Perez returned yesterday and went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI.

I wouldn't question anyone who has already moved on from Perez. But if you've held this long, his numbers should start creeping up, and fantasy managers' patience should be rewarded. His lack of walks and strikeouts may render Perez far less valuable in some points leagues.

On the Hot Seat

Zac Gallen - SP, Arizona Diamondbacks - 93% rostered

The days of Gallen being a fantasy ace are gone. He was drafted as an SP3/4 this year and hasn't been able to provide value on that. After 11 starts, Gallen has a 3-6 W-L record, 5.25 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 63 Ks (61 2/3 IP). He doesn't even rank in the top 100 starting pitchers in standard 5x5 roto leagues.

That may be enough for fantasy managers to cut ties with Gallen. That's understandable. There isn't a great deal to be optimistic about when analyzing Gallen's numbers. Against the Cardinals on Friday, things were looking up. Gallen pitched five shutout innings before things unravelled in the sixth.

Gallen couldn't get through the sixth inning, ultimately giving up four earned runs and only retiring two of the seven batters he faced in the sixth. He walked three hitters in the inning (one intentionally), and the walks have been a problem for Gallen all season.

His 10.9% BB% is a career-high and ranks in the 22nd percentile. Gallen strikes out just enough (23.6% K% ranks in the 62nd percentile) to mitigate some of those free passes. Friday was the 10th time in 11 starts in which Gallen has walked more than one batter. That needs to improve.

It was also notable that Jose Herrera was behind the plate for Friday's game. Gallen has better numbers when Herrera is catching for him rather than Gabriel Moreno, and Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo has mentioned that we may see more of it.

Should Jose Herrera become Zac Gallen's personal catcher?

Torey Lovullo goes over the possibility.

Lovullo's visit with @BurnsAndGambo is presented by Estrella Jalisco. pic.twitter.com/y1Tg3woSDu

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) May 23, 2025

It's a small sample, but anything to help Gallen's numbers will be appreciated. That plan did work for much of Friday's game, so we'll continue to see it happen. It's a more plausible plan than just having Gallen pitch against New York teams, against which he has a 0.92 ERA this year.

Gallen has also struggled with home runs this year. His 13.3% HR/FB is the joint 18th highest among the 80 qualified starters. It's considerably higher than his 10.0% HR/FB Gallen had between 2022 and 2024. That will also help to explain why his ERA is as high as it is.

The biggest crumb of comfort for Gallen's fantasy owners might lie in his 4.30 xFIP and 4.21 SIERA. Even if his ERA does come down to nearer those marks, it's still not ideal. But at the very least, it's tolerable given Gallen's strikeouts.

Only 21 pitchers have more strikeouts this year than Gallen. It's important to remember that the accumulation of strikeouts is what we're after. Providing Gallen cuts down the walks and the home runs normalize, he can still be a solid fantasy option over the remainder of 2025.

The longer his struggles continue, the further in the distance his previous successes look. No one is expecting Gallen to perform like an SP1 again. But if he is unable to get close to the level he was drafted at over the coming weeks, Gallen won't be more than a deep league option.

Reader Requests

As always, we're keen to hear who you want us to analyze. If there is anyone you want to include on next week's Cut List, drop their names on the Reddit thread or in the RotoBaller Discord chat rooms. Alternatively, you can reach out to me on X, and we'll endeavor to cover some requests each week.

Jose Altuve - 2B/OF, Houston Astros - 96% rostered

As has been the case a few times this year, a player has come to life with the threat of inclusion in The Cut List. Maybe that's just a coincidence. Either way, Altuve has three multi-hit games this week, including his two-homer performance on Thursday.

That's left Altuve with a .253/.302/.374 slash line, six homers, 18 RBI, 22 runs, and four steals. This week has also helped Altuve move into 15th place among second basemen and 60th among outfielders in standard 5x5 scoring leagues. Still only borderline rosterable in most leagues.

However, this might be as good as it gets. Altuve's .227 xBA ranks in the 15th percentile, and his .350 xSLG ranks in the 16th percentile. The fact that they are worse than his actual numbers is concerning, given how disappointing Altuve has been.

We mentioned how Perez's Statcast Profile offers hope that his numbers will improve. Altuve's is the opposite.

There was a reason why Altuve was drafted as a top-5 second baseman. His track record is that of consistent production. So it's hard to just cut bait after two months, especially with a dearth of options at the position. Earning outfield eligibility is useful, but you're only using him as a fill-in there.

That outfield eligibility might also explain his struggles. Altuve has had to learn a new position in his mid-30s. While we have nothing to quantify that with, it shouldn't be underestimated how difficult a complete change in position can be, regardless of experience.

Now 35 years old, this could be the beginning of the end for Altuve as a productive fantasy option. But even in what looks like being a down year, he's still doing just enough to warrant rostering. Providing we don't see more regression, Altuve is worth hanging onto.

Matt McLain - 2B/SS, Cincinnati Reds - 86% rostered

A large part of why I'd hold on to Altuve is his track record. The other being a lack of viable second base options to replace him with. For McLain, we don't have much of a track record to consider. And if he's playing as your shortstop, there may be solid options available to replace him with.

First, let's look at his numbers so far. In 44 games, McLain has six homers, 17 RBI, 23 runs, and 10 steals with a .176/.283/.314 slash line. The counting stats are good. McLain has a 162-game pace of 22 homers, 63 RBI, 85 runs, and 37 steals. Fantasy managers would love that statline.

Even coming close to that would be huge. And although playing 162 games isn't going to happen, a 15-homer and 30-steal season isn't out of the question. We just need the batting average to improve. Although it may not improve to league average, there's scope for improvement.

McLain has a .214 xBA. That still only ranks in the eighth percentile, but is much better than his actual .176 batting average. If we look at his numbers as a Major Leaguer, it does provide more questions than answers. In 2023, McLain had a .290 batting average, aided by a .385 BABIP.

This year, McLain has a .228 BABIP. That makes me believe his true batting average will generally be somewhere in between. If he hit .290/.357/.507 with a .385 BABIP, a ~.225 batting average is probably more likely than coming close to hitting .300 again.

It's difficult to know what to expect from McLain. We only have 89 MLB games in 2023 and 205 minor league games to go on. How much impact is last year's shoulder injury having? We simply don't know.

As mentioned in the beginning, your decision may depend on what position you're using McLain at. He ranks 22nd among second basemen and 32nd among shortstops. I'd be much more inclined to move on from McLain if you have him as your starting shortstop.

Brenton Doyle - OF, Colorado Rockies - 75% rostered

I've held off covering Doyle as I don't know where to start. For those of you who don't know, Doyle suffered an unimaginable tragedy last month.

 

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A post shared by Brenton Doyle (@bdoyle_9)

That's not something I can even fathom having to deal with. And very few people will know what impact that would have on his performance. But that is all I can do: Look at Doyle's numbers and make an assessment on his fantasy status.

If we just look at Doyle's numbers, they paint an all too familiar picture. Doyle performs much better at home than he does on the road. At Coors Field, Doyle is hitting .255/.297/.457. Away from Colorado, Doyle is hitting .162/.250/.176, while he has one extra-base hit in 76 plate appearances.

Doyle is a career .252/.305/.453 hitter at home and a .214/.270/.334 hitter away. That is pretty much all you need to know. When the Rockies are at home, Doyle is worth playing. When they are on the road, Doyle is not worth rostering. So it boils down to your league format and settings.

If you have daily lineups, Doyle is well worth rostering. The problem comes in weekly leagues. Unless the Rockies have a week-long homestand, the boost of Coors is not going to be enough to offset what Doyle does on the road most weeks. That is true for many Rockies hitters.

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