The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who To Consider Dropping for Fantasy Baseball (Week 3)

April 12, 2026

The fantasy baseball Cut List for Week 3 of 2026. Jamie analyzes potential fantasy baseball busts, overvalued players, and injured players to consider dropping.

Welcome back to The Cut List as we head into Week 3 of the 2026 season. For those who are not familiar, this is our weekly article looking at players whom fantasy managers might be considering cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer look.

We'll look at players who are worth monitoring for replacing and someone on the hot seat who should be held on to... for now. 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, especially this early in the season.

If there's ever someone you want me to take a look at, drop their name in the Reddit comments, 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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Pitchers

Cole Ragans - SP, Kansas City Royals - 98% rostered

Ragans' last outing was... not good. After striking out the first two batters in the first inning, Jose Ramirez lined a pitch back that hit Ragans on the hand. He then walked the next batter on four pitches before Chase DeLauter drove in two runs with a double. That was the last pitch Ragans threw.

The comebacker caused what is being called a 'thumb contusion'. Ragans hasn't been placed on the injured list (IL) yet, and could still start next week against the Tigers. Regardless of his short-term outlook, you shouldn't put much value on Wednesday's outing. The comebacker clearly impacted Ragans.

As we can see from the graphic below (courtesy of BaseballSavant.com), Ragans' velocity diminished notably after being hit on the hand. The circled pitch is the one that Ramirez struck Ragans on the hand with. It's not normally prudent to ignore starts, but in this instance, there's no reason to put any value on the outing.

Verdict: Injury is always the big concern for Ragans. This incident is something that you can't attribute to his questionable health history. For now, just keep an eye on his status over the weekend. Provided there's no long-term impact, Ragans is still a lock to be rostered. Even if you don't risk him next week.

Cade Horton - SP, Chicago Cubs - 52% rostered

After emerging as a potential rotation mainstay last year, Horton had a solid spring and looked set to be a star for the Cubs this year. Unfortunately, he left last Friday's start after walking Kyle Manzardo in the second inning following a significant drop in his velocity.

Horton felt something in his arm and left the field with the trainer. It was revealed earlier this week that Horton will require elbow surgery. He is set to miss the rest of this year. It hasn't been confirmed what procedure Horton will undergo. Regardless of that, it's a huge blow to Horton and the Cubs.

Verdict: Horton is a drop in all redraft leagues. Even if he undergoes an internal brace procedure, we won't see Horton until early (possibly) 2027. If you roster him in Dynasty leagues, he's still worth holding and would make a good trade target in such leagues if you are in a rebuild.

Bryan Abreu - RP, Houston Astros - 47% rostered

With Josh Hader starting the year on the IL, Abreu was expected to lead the Astros bullpen for saves. While his one save does tie for the team lead, it's been a dreadful start to the season for Abreu. As we can see from his game log, Abreu has allowed at least one run in every outing so far.

Abreu also walked 10 of the 27 batters he's faced. Three of them have hit home runs. Abreu has struck out nine, which is about the only stat you'd have expected from him. Even if you put Wednesday's performance down to being at Coors Field, there's no explaining the other five appearances.

Yesterday was the perfect microcosm of his season. Entering the bottom of the ninth in a tie game, Abreu struck out Luke Raley. He then walked the bases loaded before giving up the walk-off single. The three walks came on 16 pitches, with Brendan Donovan walking on four pitches.

For someone who had a 2.69 ERA over the previous five seasons (317 2/3 innings), it's been a shocking start to 2026. Abreu has always walked plenty of batters (career 10.8% BB% before this year). It may just be a small sample, but Abreu is struggling, and the Astros are unlikely to rely on him for saves again anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Bryan King has one save and a 1.35 ERA (6 2/3 innings). As a left-handed pitcher (LHP), King may be used more for matchups before the ninth inning. But in the battle of the Bryans, King looks like the best option for saves in Houston right now.

Verdict: The closer job will be Hader's once he returns from injury. So Abreu was more of a short-term option for saves anyway. Hader is trending towards a return in early May, leaving Abreu little time to get back into the saves mix before returning to a setup role. He's a drop in all but the deepest leagues.

Hitters

Jakob Marsee - OF, Miami Marlins - 78% rostered

After hitting .292/.363/.478 with 14 stolen bases in 55 games last year, Marsee was a popular fantasy option for steals this year. He's not let fantasy managers down in that regard, with six stolen bases in 15 games. Marsee has also chipped in with three RBI and nine runs scored.

The problem and frustration for fantasy managers is Marsee's .138/.250/.190 slash line. While there wasn't an expectation for power, his batting average is a concern. With a .205 xBA (expected batting average) and .299 xSLG (expected slugging percentage), it's not like Marsee has been very unlucky.

We are still looking at a small sample. Marsee ranks in the 95th percentile for Whiff% and 83rd percentile for Chase%. It was a similar story in 2025, so Marsee's contact skills and plate discipline were the same as last year. As long as they don't change drastically, Marsee's batting average should improve.

Verdict: Few expected Marsee to have a .280 or better batting average this year. It would only take a good week at this stage for his batting average to get back around .230. He's still hitting third or leadoff for the Marlins and is stealing bases, so he should be held on to in standard leagues.

Spencer Torkelson - 1B, Detroit Tigers - 64% rostered

The Spencer Torkelson roller coaster ride is already in full effect. The 'even year struggles' anomaly is already being shouted from the rooftops. Given that Torkelson is hitting .209/.382/.256 with no home runs, five RBI, four runs, and no stolen bases after 14 games, it's no surprise.

After having 30+ homer seasons in 2023 and 2025 but struggling in 2022 and 2024, Torkelson is giving credence to the fact that he's only worth rostering in odd-numbered years. While that's not something we should give any consideration to, we're looking at a player who has largely disappointed us throughout his career.

Granted, it's not been a long career. Torkelson has put together two very productive seasons. The problem is being able to trust him. Every time fantasy managers think Torkelson is a legit 30+ homer hitter, he isn't. The concern we should have is that the lack of power being displayed isn't just a 2026 thing.

If we go back to last year, 21 of Torkelson's 31 homers were hit in the first half of the season. He only hit 10 home runs in the second half (64 games). The hot start to his 2025 campaign may have been the outlier, with the second half a truer reflection of his power output.

Verdict: While first base is generally a position of depth, in deeper leagues, there will likely be very little that appeals on waivers. Torkelson's 11 walks will help in OBP and points leagues. In shallower leagues, there might be a more trustworthy option you can replace Torkelson with.

Dylan Crews - OF, Washington Nationals - 38% rostered

Crews was a surprise demotion before the season began. With the Nationals not looking like they'd be anywhere near postseason contention this year, it seemed odd that they would move Crews back to Triple-A. He's performing ok in the Minors, hitting .256/.400/.385 with one homer, seven RBI, seven runs, and three steals (11 games).

The problem for Crews is that the Nationals' outfield quartet is all playing well enough to avoid being demoted or cut. As we can see below, while there are a couple of question marks over them as a unit, it's difficult to justify the Nationals not continuing as they are.

Wood isn't going anywhere. Lile has been ok, but he's still locked into regular playing time. Young has been one of the best defensive outfielders in the Majors over the last three seasons and is hitting well. Wiemer has gotten off to an incredible start at the plate, albeit largely against LHP.

The Nationals wouldn't want to recall Crews unless he was going to play every day. So it looks like it'll take an injury or a significant drop off in someone's production before Crews returns to the Majors. Of course, that could happen soon. If you've been stashing Crews, you may need to keep doing so throughout April.

Verdict: We never know the intentions of MLB front offices. Crews may get called up tomorrow. An injury might open the door. The encouraging thing is that Crews has been playing well in Triple-A. If you've been able to stash him to this point, it's probably worth doing so for a bit longer at least.

Addison Barger - 3B/OF, Toronto Blue Jays - 32% rostered

Barger had gotten off to a putrid start to the season before an ankle injury sent him to the IL earlier this week. He only has one hit in 23 plate appearances and has been almost exclusively limited to facing right-handed pitchers (RHP). While it's the strong side of a platoon, it's still a platoon.

There's little point in being in any platoon if you don't hit when you do play. Barger has at least been hitting cleanup when he's in the lineup. The Blue Jays seem to like what Barger is capable of. He just needs to repay the faith a bit.

The dual position eligibility is also a nice bonus. Again, if he's not going to hit, then no amount of positional eligibility will warrant fantasy managers rostering Barger.

Verdict: Barger going on the IL at least means fantasy managers can just put him there. Barger is shut down from baseball activities, meaning it'll be unlikely he returns when first eligible on Thursday. If you've already found a suitable replacement that you can roll with long-term, dropping Barger is the play.

On the Hot Seat

Ranger Suarez - SP, Boston Red Sox - 78% rostered

When the Red Sox signed Suarez to a five-year contract this past offseason, they would have been hoping for better. It's only been three starts, but Suarez's 5.02 ERA is not good. Nor is the .291 batting average against him. Before yesterday, it was so much worse.

Suarez shut out the Cardinals over six innings last night. He allowed just three hits, walked two, and struck out six. Last night should act as a reminder that pitchers can completely change their numbers in one outing, given that Suarez had an 8.64 ERA before taking the mound yesterday.

One very good start won't completely wash away Suarez's previous two starts. It isn't difficult to see why he struggled so much before yesterday. If we looked at Suarez's pitch locations from his first two outings, it's quite evident why Suarez gave up so many hits and so many runs.

Of his four main pitches, Suarez's changeup is the only one he's not routinely leaving down the middle of the strike zone. Suarez's cutter has a .833 slugging percentage against it, while his sinker has a .538 slugging percentage against it. Suarez had a .371 batting average against him before yesterday.

Suarez had used his cutter more in his first two starts. Its usage was up over 10 percentage points from last year. He only threw nine cutters yesterday, leaning more on his sinker (46% usage). Given his cutter's ineffectiveness in the first two starts, that change made sense, and it worked.

That's not to say Suarez's sinker was great in his first two starts. But the fact that he went back to a more familiar pitch usage yesterday, and it worked, should mean we see that more moving forward.

We're still looking at just a three-game sample. And we're analyzing things start-by-start. Suarez's next two starts are slated to be against the Tigers and Yankees. While neither offense has really gotten going yet, they are both capable of doing damage.

By the end of April, we'll have a clearer picture of where Suarez is. If he can follow up yesterday's performance with another two quality starts, great. If they go more like his first two outings of the year, then Suarez will find himself on more waiver wires than rosters.

Verdict: Last night should have eased some concerns for fantasy managers. Suarez is still someone I'd only stream in very shallow leagues. In all other formats, he can be started with more confidence next week. If things unravel over the next two weeks, Suarez will be an automatic drop.

Reader Requests

Trevor Story - SS, Boston Red Sox - 83% rostered

Story's time in Boston had been beset by injuries and poor form. That was until last year. His first 20/20 season since 2021 left fantasy managers salivating over a renaissance from Story. That doesn't look likely to be repeated based on his early performances.

Story has one homer and one steal to his name after 14 games. His .131/.141/.213 slash line is uninspiring. Story's 32.8% K% is his highest since 2017. Last night was the first time he was walked in 2026. Collectively, only five teams have scored fewer runs than the Red Sox so far (53).

I expect all those things to change. Story has a .225 xBA, so he shouldn't be struggling as much as he has. His previous struggles have been during times of injuries and health struggles. There doesn't appear to be any such problems right now.

People were understandably concerned that Story's impressive numbers were inflated by Coors Field, given he'd been unable to replicate them in Boston. Last season, Story showed he can put up big numbers outside of Colorado. Despite the slow start, Story can do so again.

Verdict: Story is still a candidate for a 20/20 season. The Red Sox offense won't be this bad for much longer, meaning the counting stats will materialize soon, too. Story is still worthwhile holding onto in pretty much every format.

Jack Flaherty - SP, Detroit Tigers - 73% rostered

Just as fantasy managers had abandoned the good ship Flaherty, he reminded them why they drafted him. On Thursday, Flaherty allowed just one run over 5 2/3 innings. The run came from a solo homer, and Flaherty struck out six batters for the second consecutive start.

The problem is that Flaherty walked three batters. That's coming after back-to-back four-walk performances. He also gave up five hits in total and could've easily given up a home run on his first pitch, a 90.6 MPH fastball down the middle to Byron Buxton. Which he popped up.

Overall, it wasn't a much different performance than his previous two starts. I do expect Flaherty's 5.14 ERA to come down. But his 5.67 xFIP and 5.19 SIERA point to the fact that he's just not been good to start the season. After posting a 4.64 ERA last year, there's little to suggest Flaherty will be better this year.

Verdict: Flaherty is a streaming option against poor offenses (like the Twins this past week). In deep leagues, he's worth holding but still only starting in favorable matchups. In all other leagues, he's burning a roster spot that could be used for streaming or stashing a prospect who's more likely to help your teams.

Lawrence Butler - OF, Athletics - 67% rostered

Butler's biggest detractors are concerned about his poor batting average and being in a platoon. The good news is, neither of them should be a major concern. For now. Of Butler's 47 plate appearances this year, 14 have been against LHP. That's tied-fourth most on the team.

Brent Rooker left Thursday's game and landed on the IL with an oblique strain. Butler replaced him, despite the A's facing a lefty, and he is set to move forward in an everyday role. In the case of the lowly batting average, Butler's .190/.277/.286 slash line is an obvious issue.

However, Butler has a .251 xBA and .366 xSLG. His 48.1% HardHit% is in the 76th percentile, so Butler should have a better slash line than he currently has. That's to be expected in a small sample and something we can anticipate improving in the coming weeks. Especially when the A's play more at home.

The Athletics have only played three games at their hitter-friendly Minor League ballpark. In two of those games, they scored double-digit runs. Next week, they play seven games at Sutter Health Park. Butler could double his counting stats over the course of the next seven days.

Verdict: Butler is never going to hit for a high batting average. But he's still a strong candidate for a 20/20 season. There's nothing to suggest he won't put up similar numbers to last year, so Butler is still worth holding in all but the shallowest leagues. His batting average and strikeout rate make him susceptible to being dropped in some points leagues.   

Daulton Varsho - OF, Toronto Blue Jays - 38% rostered

Regular readers will be able to testify that nothing gets someone's bat cooking more than being requested for inclusion in The Cut List. Varsho looks like being the first such player in 2026. His first home run of the season on Friday was followed by his second yesterday.

So while the Blue Jays' home run jacket might be taking the credit, you played your part, too!

Don't let people tell you baseball superstitions aren't real 👀

Daulton Varsho has crushed two home runs since the @BlueJays asked their home run jacket to "wake up" 💥 https://t.co/wmDSnTWrEo pic.twitter.com/JdfxxbWJ9e

— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2026

His numbers don't stand out. But they're considerably better than they were last Sunday. Even before this weekend's series, I was still bullish on Varsho for the remainder of the season. The main reason is shown below. This was Vasho's Statcast Profile as of Thursday.

Hopefully, fantasy managers who have kept faith with Varsho can feel vindicated sticking by him in the early goings. After the last few days, there's certainly no reason to consider sending him to the waiver wire now.

Verdict: While Varsho is only borderline worth rostering in shallow leagues (and those that play three outfielders), he should probably be rostered in more leagues. As well as coming to life the last couple of days, his expected numbers are good, and he's struck out only seven times compared to six walks. Varsho is still set to have a productive 2026.

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