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Andy's fantasy baseball cut list rankings, drop candidates for Week 9 waiver wire (2026). Is it time to drop these struggling players for better waiver wire options?
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our updated Cut List Rankings for fantasy baseball and Week 9 of the 2026 MLB season.
This week, we saw some pitchers continue their slumps, including Tanner Bibee and Randy Vasquez, who now find themselves on our cut list.
So, which injured or disappointing players is it time to get rid of for fantasy baseball lineups? Read about our top players to cut for Week 9 of the MLB season. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Cut List Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Players to Drop?
The top players to consider cutting for fantasy baseball, in priority order. Players at the top of the list should be dropped first and replaced on the waiver wire.
| Rank | Player Name | Position | Team | ROS% | Baller Move |
| 1 | Luis Robert Jr. | OF | NYM | 50 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 2 | Michael McGreevy | SP | STL | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 3 | Dansby Swanson | SS | CHI | 70 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 4 | Angel Martinez | 2B/OF | CLE | 50 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 5 | Nolan Arenado | 3B | ARI | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 6 | Jorge Soler | OF | LAA | 30 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 7 | Griffin Jax | SP/RP | TB | 30 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 8 | Joey Cantillo | SP | CLE | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 9 | Jac Caglianone | 1B/OF | KC | 45 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 10 | Zack Gelof | 2B/OF | ATH | 25 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 11 | Gavin Sheets | 1B/OF | SD | 30 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 12 | A.J. Ewing | OF | NYM | 30 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 13 | Jose Caballero | 2B/3B/SS/OF | NYY | 70 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 14 | Lucas Erceg | RP | KC | 50 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 15 | Randy Vasquez | SP | SD | 50 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 16 | Tanner Bibee | SP | CLE | 75 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 17 | Carson Benge | OF | NYM | 30 | Hold in Most Leagues |
| 18 | Kazuma Okamoto | 3B | TOR | 80 | Hold in Most Leagues |
| 19 | Vinnie Pasquantino | 1B | KC | 80 | Hold in Most Leagues |
| 20 | Luke Keaschall | 2B | MIN | 70 | Hold in Most Leagues |
| 21 | Ildemaro Vargas | 1B/2B | ARI | 65 | Hold in Most Leagues |
| 22 | Chase DeLauter | OF | CLE | 70 | Hold in Most Leagues |
| 23 | Mickey Moniak | OF | COL | 60 | Hold in All Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 24 | Jackson Merrill | OF | SD | 90 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 25 | Sandy Alcantara | SP | MIA | 90 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 26 | Max Muncy | 3B | LAD | 80 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 27 | Brent Rooker | OF | ATH | 95 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 28 | Daniel Palencia | RP | CHI | 80 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 29 | Ranger Suarez | SP | PHI | 90 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 30 | Zebby Matthews | SP | MIN | 40 | Hold in All Leagues |
Fantasy Baseball Drops: Week 9 Player Outlooks
Tanner Bibee, SP, Cleveland Guardians
Cut List Ranking No. 16
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee had a rough outing on Monday night at home against the Nationals, giving up seven runs on eight hits, including five home runs. Bibee gave up a lead-off homer to James Wood to start things off on the wrong foot and never got any kind of momentum going. The loss dropped Bibee to 0-7 on the year with a 4.57 ERA and 4.85 FIP.
He has allowed 12 homers in his 12 starts and has allowed 11 runs in his last three games. Despite Monday's home run derby, he has had a few strong outings recently.
He went eight innings and gave up just one run in Detroit in his previous start, and he had three quality starts in a row before Monday's disaster. There are enough reasons for optimism to still hold onto him in deep leagues, but until he turns things around, he's not worth a roster spot in shallower formats.
Nolan Arenado, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Cut List Ranking No. 5
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (groin) is absent from the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the division-rival San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, according to MLB.com.
Jose Fernandez will make the start at third base for the Snakes and will hit seventh against Giants right-hander Trevor McDonald. It's not a surprise that Arenado is sitting on Wednesday in a day game after he was pulled from Tuesday night's game early with tightness in his right groin.
The D-backs have a day off on Thursday, so fantasy managers will want to check back to see if he's available to play in Friday's series opener in Seattle against the Mariners. If it's an injury that keeps the veteran out for an extended period of time, Fernandez would continue to see most of the playing time at third in Arizona.
The eight-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger isn't the offensive player he once was in his prime with the Colorado Rockies, although he has hit a decent .271 (46-for-170) on the year with seven home runs, 27 RBI, 27 runs, and a stolen base across his first 51 games in his first year with the Diamondbacks.
Griffin Jax, SP/RP, Tampa Bay Rays
Cut List Ranking No. 7
Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Griffin Jax (back) was hit by a comebacker on Tuesday in his start against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles and was forced to exit the game early due to a back contusion, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Jax is considered day-to-day after taking a 107.2 mph line drive off his back in the second inning. The 31-year-old tried to stay in the game, but he only made it through two frames before being pulled and ended up allowing three unearned runs on three hits while walking none and striking out three.
We won't know more about whether Jax can make his next scheduled start until after he goes for testing. Jax began the year in Tampa Bay as its closer with Edwin Uceta (shoulder) out, but he was quickly demoted from the closer's role after blowing each of his first two save chances.
Tampa Bay has transitioned Jax to a starting role, with Tuesday being his sixth start. He's been much more effective as a starter, going into Tuesday's game with only four runs (three earned) allowed with eight walks and 14 strikeouts in 19 innings over five starts.
Luis Robert Jr., OF, New York Mets
Cut List Ranking No. 1
The New York Mets announced on Wednesday that they have transferred outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (back) to the 60-day injured list. Robert was initially placed on the 10-day injured list with lumbar spine disc herniation on April 30, and he hasn't been able to resume baseball activities, which has led to his placement on the 60-day IL.
It's bad news for a last-place Mets team that has had terrible luck with injuries to key players in 2026. If the 28-year-old outfielder doesn't make progress soon, he could be advised to go under the knife, which would almost certainly knock him out for the rest of the season.
It's becoming harder and harder for fantasy managers to continue stashing him in an IL spot in shallow mixed leagues. The Cuban slugger was hitting only .224 (19-for-85) with two home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, and two stolen bases at the time of his injury, too.
Robert's injury has paved the way for both rookie outfielders Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing to make their MLB debuts, and they should have plenty of runway for extended playing time now.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Articles
Looking to add a player off the waiver wire? After diving into the cut list rankings, read about some waiver wire pickups to consider instead:
- Updated Waiver Wire Rankings
- 6 Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups
- Sneaky Starting Pitchers to Pick Up
- Top 25 Prospects to Stash
- Top 25 Injured Players to Stash
Each week, our MLB team puts out a complete array of fantasy baseball waiver wire articles to complement our slick Who Should I Pick Up? waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!
In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers, and more throughout the week.
Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the "Who Should I Pick Up" tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Travis Bazzana, Jackson Holliday, Tanner Scott, Henry Bolte, Gage Jump, Colt Emerson, and Ryan Waldschmidt. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who to Pick Up? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pick Up? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Pick Up? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who to Pick Up
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pick Up tool for 2026 for players like Travis Bazzana, Jackson Holliday, Tanner Scott, Henry Bolte, Gage Jump, Colt Emerson, and Ryan Waldschmidt:
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