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Nick's fantasy baseball cut list rankings, drop candidates for Week 14 waiver wire (2026). Is it time to drop these struggling players for better waiver wire options?
Howdy, RotoBallers, and welcome to our updated Cut List Rankings for fantasy baseball in Week 14 of the 2026 MLB season. This weekly column presents you with some of the most dropped players across Yahoo leagues, and then we make a call on whether we're holding on or letting go.
Our focus this week is on some players dealing with injuries, poor performance, and a loss of consistent playing time. You will have to decide for yourself, based on your spot in the standings and how many roster/IL slots you have available, which side of the fence you fall on.
Let's dig into this list of injured or disappointing players and work through how deserving they are of remaining in your fantasy baseball lineups. Read about our top players to cut for Week 14 of the MLB season. It's time to make some tough calls, 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 | Brent Rooker | OF | ATH | 79 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | Carlos Estevez | RP | KC | 40 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 3 | Robert Gasser | SP | MIL | 8 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 4 | Samad Taylor | 2B/OF | SD | 17 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 5 | Martin Perez | SP | ATL | 31 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 6 | Spencer Arrighetti | SP | HOU | 43 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 7 | Bubba Chandler | SP | PIT | 61 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 8 | Gabriel Moreno | C | ARI | 44 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 9 | Nasim Nunez | 2B/SS | WAS | 29 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 10 | Paul Goldschmidt | 1B | NYY | 40 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 11 | JJ Bleday | OF | CIN | 35 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 12 | Gregory Soto | RP | PIT | 41 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 13 | Willi Castro | 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF | COL | 51 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 14 | Jakob Marsee | OF | MIA | 60 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 15 | Landen Roupp | SP | SF | 43 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 16 | Bryce Eldridge | 1B | SF | 30 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 17 | Kyle Teel | C | CHW | 19 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 18 | Jose Soriano | SP | LAA | 83 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 19 | Spencer Steer | 1B/2B/OF | CIN | 39 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 20 | Jung Hoo Lee | OF | SF | 51 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 21 | Samuel Basallo | C | BAL | 49 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 22 | Ryan Weathers | SP | NYY | 53 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 23 | Matt Chapman | 3B | SF | 72 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 24 | Connelly Early | SP | BOS | 70 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 25 | Corey Seager | SS | TEX | 84 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 26 | Austin Riley | 3B | ATL | 84 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 27 | Travis Bazzana | 2B | CLE | 45 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 28 | Brandon Nimmo | OF | TEX | 75 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 29 | George Springer | OF | TOR | 78 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 30 | Casey Schmitt | 1B/2B/3B/OF | SF | 83 | Hold in All Leagues |
Fantasy Baseball Drops: Week 14 Player Outlooks
Connelly Early, SP, Boston Red Sox
Cut List Ranking No. 18
The Boston Red Sox announced on Wednesday that they placed left-hander Connelly Early (elbow) on the 15-day injured list with left-elbow inflammation and recalled left-hander Alec Gamboa from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. Early threw four shutout innings with two walks and five strikeouts on Tuesday night against the visiting Washington Nationals before the BoSox pulled him early with elbow discomfort.
The 24-year-old southpaw will now miss at least the next two weeks and won't be able to rejoin the Red Sox's starting rotation until after the All-Star break in late July, in a best-case scenario. Once Early undergoes tests, we'll have a better idea of whether he'll be ready to return from the IL when eligible after the break.
In his first full year in the majors, Early has gone 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA (4.61 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 93 strikeouts and 34 walks across 91 2/3 innings and 17 starts. He's had a decent 23.8% walk rate and 8.7% walk rate, but he ranks in the 15th percentile in barrel rate and has allowed 15 homers in his 17 starts. Early is rostered in 70% of Yahoo leagues.
Carlos Estevez, RP, Kansas City Royals
Cut List Ranking No. 2
Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder) suffered a shoulder injury while rehabbing his foot on May 6. He threw a bullpen session on June 27, but his right shoulder didn't feel great, so the Royals will re-evaluate him in the coming days, according to MLB.com.
Estevez initially went on the 15-day injured list on April 1 with a foot injury, but he was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 15 with a right rotator-cuff strain in his shoulder. It's unclear exactly what is wrong with the 33-year-old Dominican veteran now, but he's unlikely to come off the IL to rejoin the Royals' bullpen before the All-Star break next month, and depending on what the team finds this week, Estevez could be out well into the second half of the season.
Right-hander Lucas Erceg was the next man up for saves in KC with Estevez hurt early in April. Erceg has 12 saves, but he has since been booted from the closer's role in favor of Alex Lange, who has converted all seven of his save opportunities in June. It's becoming harder to justify holding Estevez in fantasy baseball leagues as we near the end of the first half. He's currently rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues.
Gregory Soto, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Cut List Ranking No. 15
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Gregory Soto entered Monday's game against the Phillies in the bottom of the eighth inning with a three-run lead. He started his outing with a strikeout of Bryce Harper, but then allowed a home run to Brandon Marsh and a single to Bryson Stott, who later came around to score as well.
Soto was charged with two runs on two hits in 2/3 of an inning. He did earn his seventh hold of the season, but he has allowed at least one run in five of his last eight games. He has a 14.85 ERA in those eight outings, and his season ERA is up to 4.37.
As evidenced by his entry in the eighth inning, he seems to have lost his closer role to Dennis Santana and Mason Montgomery. Montgomery finished the game on Monday night in a non-save situation and seems to be the reliever to own in Pittsburgh at this point in the season. Yahoo league managers have him rostered at a 41% clip.
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:
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 Pick Up 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 Carter Jensen, Sam Antonacci, Caleb Durbin, Logan Henderson, Emilio Pagan, Henry Bolte, A.J. Ewing, Esmerlyn Valdez, Jake McCarthy, Joey Cantillo, Tatsuya Imai, Daulton Varsho, and Grant Taylor. 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 Carter Jensen, Sam Antonacci, Caleb Durbin, Logan Henderson, Emilio Pagan, Henry Bolte, A.J. Ewing, Esmerlyn Valdez, Jake McCarthy, Joey Cantillo, Tatsuya Imai, Daulton Varsho, and Grant Taylor:
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