The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who to Consider Dropping for Fantasy Baseball (Week 10)

The Cut List for Week 10 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 10 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?

Jorge Polanco - 2B, Seattle Mariners - 65% rostered

Most of us remember when Polanco was one of the best middle infielders in fantasy baseball. I'm not even talking about 2021. It was actually in April. Polanco hit nine homers in the first month of the season and entered May with a .384/.418/.808 slash line.

Since May 1, Polanco is hitting .139/.205/.208 with one home run and a 23 wRC+. Normally, when a player has two similar-length periods with vastly different results, the truth lies somewhere in between. While that is still the case here, it's more likely that Polanco has a repeat of May than April.

If you looked at Polanco's Statcast Profile, you could easily be mesmerized into believing he's still on course to be the number one second baseman in baseball. That simply isn't the case. Polanco's April was so good, that it is carrying the rest of his numbers and will continue to do so throughout the summer.

If we look at his rolling xwOBA this year, he's been below league average for some time. And there isn't really any reason to believe that won't continue being the case.

Polanco hasn't been a picture of health in recent years. He's played 302 games over the previous three seasons. This year, Polanco is again dealing with an injury. He's had a sore side, which is making it difficult to hit right-handed. That is why he has been sitting against left-handed pitching (LHP).

While not in a strict platoon, Polanco has only had 17 plate appearances against lefties this year. It'll be difficult to overcome a physical problem while still playing regularly. At least Polanco is on the strong side of a platoon, but there's no telling if the issue will worsen and force him to miss time.

Given that Polanco was a defensive liability last year and has that side issue, it's unlikely he'll play the infield much. The Mariners have promoted one of their top prospects, Cole Young. The expectation is that Young will play second base, leaving Polanco locked into the designated hitter (DH) role.

Verdict: Polanco's April was one for the ages. But the time to sell high on him has passed. Unless you can find someone who believes Polanco is in the midst of a renaissance, you'll need to look on waivers for an upgrade. Even at second base, there should be a better option available in most leagues.

Ben Rice - 1B, New York Yankees - 57% rostered

Rice was one of the most surprising performers to start the year. The problem has been finding regular at-bats. Limited to first base and DH duties, Rice hasn't got many routes to an everyday role. Especially given how well Paul Goldschmidt has been playing.

There have been some suggestions that Rice could act as a backup catcher to Austin Wells, and J.C. Escarra gets demoted when Giancarlo Stanton returns. That doesn't seem likely given the Yankees have only used Rice as a catcher late in blowout games.

If the Yankees were planning for that eventuality, Rice would have been getting more reps behind the plate than he has. It's more likely that Rice and Stanton will share DH duties, with Rice getting the odd start at first base to give Goldschmidt some rest.

We may find out how things play out sooner rather than later. Stanton is set to go out on a rehab assignment in June. If things go as hoped, he's set to make his season debut with the Yankees in the second half of June.

Giancarlo Stanton is set for live batting practice and "getting really close to doing a rehab assignment thereafter," Brian Cashman said https://t.co/rtPxPqNCqb pic.twitter.com/X1cNWeNks5

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 25, 2025

When Rice has been on the field, he's performed well. He's sporting a .250/.339/.524 slash line with 11 homers, 23 RBI, 30 runs, and two steals. Rice's numbers have regressed this month, but he's still hitting .230/.293/.446 in May with a 107 wRC+. It's not like he's fallen off a cliff this month.

Without consistent playing time, Rice will find it hard to replicate what he did in April. Playing time is going to be harder to come by without an injury to Goldschmidt or a setback for Stanton.

Verdict: Rice's bat is still worth rostering. However, in weekly lineup leagues, the limited volume will hurt his value. In deep leagues or daily lineup leagues with a few bench spots, Rice is worth holding. Outside of those, Rice has enough trade value to move. Otherwise, dropping is in play.

Hold For Now

Jack Flaherty - SP, Detroit Tigers - 88% rostered

When asked about Flaherty in recent weeks, I've been a staunch believer in holding him. Even suggesting Flaherty is a good buy-low candidate. Thankfully, he had his best outing of the season on Tuesday. Flaherty tossed six shutout innings against the Giants.

That's left Flaherty with a 3-6 W-L record, 3.94 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 72 Ks (59 1/3 IP). Not a statline that suggests someone is worth holding onto in all formats. But there were reasons for my faith in Flaherty. The first being his strikeout capability.

Flaherty's 29.9% K% ranks in the 88th percentile. Despite failing to complete seven innings in any of his 11 starts this year, Flaherty still ranks tied-17th for total strikeouts. He should continue to pile up the strikeouts as the season goes on.

The other reason for holding Flaherty was his underlying numbers. Before Tuesday's start, Flaherty had a 3.35 xFIP and 3.24 SIERA. He was pitching well but not getting the deserved results. That changed on Tuesday and is expected to continue trending in that direction.

If we compare some of Flaherty's numbers this year to his 2024 season, there are similarities. Enough to make us believe that while he won't quite match his 2024 numbers, Flaherty will still be good over the remainder of 2025.

Flaherty's xFIP and SIERA are both similar to last year's. The only significant difference is that Flaherty is being hit a bit harder. In a strange quirk, Flaherty had a 72.7% HardHit% against him in Tuesday's shutout. The highest he's had this season.

As mentioned, I don't think we should expect Flaherty to repeat last year's numbers. But he's pitching well enough to warrant holding and should start to see better results. Tuesday could be a sign of things to come, and Flaherty is worth holding onto in all formats right now.

Zach Eflin, SP, Baltimore Orioles - 73% rostered

Eflin is a difficult one to analyze at this stage of the season. Unlike most other starting pitchers, we have a limited number of starts to look at. Based on his numbers so far, Eflin is borderline droppable. In seven starts, he has a 4-2 W-L record, 4.46 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 24 Ks (40 1/3 IP).

Even before Friday's outing, Eflin was worth holding. It was his best start of the year, with seven shutout innings. It was against the White Sox, so we shouldn't read too much into it. But after back-to-back poor starts, it was encouraging to see Eflin go deeper into a game.

Missing five weeks due to a lat strain is why Eflin has only started seven games. In the three starts before the injury, Eflin had a 3.00 ERA. In the three games since returning from the IL (injured list), Eflin has a 5.64 ERA. He may still not be 100% healthy, or he needs more time to get back to his best.

Eflin has a 4.37 xFIP and 4.45 SIERA. Both of which suggest his ERA is higher than it should be. Notably, Eflin had a 4.57 xFIP before his IL stint. While we can expect Eflin's ERA to improve, the injury doesn't seem to be a significant factor. The discrepancies might be more due to the small sample size.

Even the lack of strikeouts seems more like small-sample noise. Eflin wasn't a big strikeout guy last year. His 19.6% K% was the lowest since 2019, and Eflin only has a 20.6% K% in his career. His 14.9% K% this year should improve, although it will also remain below league average.

After back-to-back stellar seasons, 2o25 does look set to be a down year for Eflin. It's still not clear if that lat strain is still impacting his performances or if it's not a factor at all. But given the missed time and limited data we're working with, he warrants more time.

His performances over the previous two seasons, and missing five weeks this year, should afford him that time. The clock is ticking, and if Eflin's ERA and underlying numbers haven't improved after a few more starts, then we can reconsider things.

On the Hot Seat

Raisel Iglesias - RP, Atlanta Braves - 92% rostered

Iglesias is one of a few top closers who have struggled so far this year. Unlike some, he hasn't lost his role as the closer for the Braves. That is the only reason why he finds himself on the Hot Seat and not as a drop candidate. That may only be a matter of time, though.

On the year, Iglesias has a 3-4 W-L record, 5.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 22 Ks, and eight saves (21 1/3 IP). Iglesias has three blown saves on his record so far. He's also allowed at least one earned run in six of his last eight outings. Despite that, he's still the Braves' closer.

Iglesias has been one of the most dominant closers in baseball since joining the Braves. And many of his underlying numbers this year are similar to the last two years. The table below compares some of them.

These numbers reveal several key insights. One being that Iglesias appears to have used up all of his good fortune last year. The one standout from these numbers is the home run to fly ball ratio (HR/FB). Iglesias allowed seven home runs in 2023 and four in 2024. He's already given up seven homers this year.

Of the 188 qualified relievers, only two have a higher HR/FB than Iglesias. That likely won't sustain. Ultimately, we will see Iglesias' ERA start to come down, which should ensure he remains in the closer role throughout the season. There is one caveat to that.

The caveat is Iglesias' fastball. Last year, it had a .188 xBA and .305 xSLG against it. His fastball also had a 100 Stuff+ rating in 2024. This year, Iglesias' fastball has a 94 Stuff+ rating along with a .287 xBA and .643 xSLG against it. It's a similar story for his sinker.

The change in how hittable Iglesias' fastball (and sinker) has been is likely down to the velocity. In 2024, his fastball averaged 95.6 mph and his sinker averaged 95.5 mph. This year, Iglesias' fastball has averaged 94.5 mph, and his sinker is averaging 94.8 mph.

Iglesias is getting a similar amount of spin and break on both pitches. The drop in velocity appears to be the big factor in their regression. At this stage of the season, Iglesias isn't going to improve the velocity of either pitch to match last year.

That is the one concern I have with Iglesias. Even with his fastball and sinker being less effective, Iglesias shouldn't have a 5.91 ERA. As long as his numbers normalize, he'll retain the closer role. But if things don't work out as expected and he's no longer tallying saves, Iglesias becomes dropable.

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.

Willy Adames - SS, San Francisco Giants - 89% rostered

Adames featured in the Week 5 Cut List. Back then, I mentioned that I felt he'd be a bust compared to his ADP in the preseason. However, he was still worth rostering. Five weeks later, and I'm starting to question whether or not Adames is actually worth rostering.

Much of why I felt Adames was worth holding onto was due to his underlying numbers. We compared some of his 2025 stats and metrics with those from 2022 - 2024 (his three full seasons in Milwaukee). It seems like a good idea to do that again now and see where we are.

There isn't much difference from five weeks ago. Some more walks and some more strikeouts. A small increase in his HardHit% and a higher average launch angle. That's been it. Adames only has a .209/.310/.391 slash line since we last looked at him. He was hitting .205/.272/.268 beforehand.

The big difference is that Adames has been hitting for more power. That makes sense given the increase in his HardHit%. Adames' 43.9% HardHit% this year ranks in the 54th percentile. So he's only just marginally better than league average. Not something to get overly excited about.

My fears with Adames centred around the problems he had hitting while in Tampa Bay. It's no secret that Adames struggled while at Tropicana Field due to difficulty seeing the ball. Maybe those struggles weren't solely a Tropicana Field thing. Maybe they're a "not American Family Field" issue.

By that, I mean that Adames just felt a lot more comfortable and confident hitting in Milwaukee. The move to San Francisco has taken away that comfort blanket. It's not like Oracle Park is particularly hitter-friendly, which was never going to help Adames anyway.

If we look at his three full seasons in Milwaukee, it's far more likely that Adames has a similar year to what he did in 2023. Then, Adames hit .217/.310/.407 with 24 homers, 80 RBI, 73 runs, and five steals. There's a good chance he falls short of reaching even those numbers.

With shortstop having so much depth in fantasy, I would be actively checking waivers for a replacement. But I'd be much more comfortable benching Adames than dropping him. If he does start feeling more accustomed to his new surroundings over time, Adames could still have a very solid 2025.

Xander Bogaerts - 2B/SS, San Diego Padres - 85% rostered

While Bogaerts' numbers aren't eye-catching, they don't scream droppable either. After 56 games, Bogaerts has three homers, 21 RBI, 23 runs, and 11 steals with a .241/.326/.335 slash line. His underlying numbers are slightly better, but this appears to be what Bogaerts is now.

As mentioned with Adames, the shortstop position has plenty of depth for fantasy purposes. If we look at where Bogaerts ranks at each position (in standard 5x5 roto scoring), it highlights this. Bogaerts is the 19th-ranked second baseman and 26th-ranked shortstop.

How valuable he is and what decision you make with Bogaerts will come down to where he's playing for you. If he's only starting for you at the shortstop position, he's far less valuable than he would be if he filled in at second base or the middle infield spot.

His 162-game pace is nine homers, 61 RBI, 67 runs, and 32 steals. Bogaerts' preseason ATC projections were for 15 homers, 70 RBI, 64 runs, and 13  steals. He was projected to hit .265/.325/.403. Most people would trade in six home runs for 19 stolen bases.

Given Bogaerts has a .264 xBA (57th percentile), his batting average will likely end up around what was projected too. His 11.5% BB% (76th percentile) makes Bogaerts more valuable in OBP and some points leagues.

Provided Bogaerts keeps running like he has been, he should still provide enough value to warrant being rostered in all but the shallowest of leagues, as long as you have another shortstop rostered. If Boagerts is your sole shortstop, you should be scouring the waiver wire.

Marcus Semien - 2B, Texas Rangers - 75% rostered

As mentioned in the introduction, I'm not one for making knee-jerk reactions. Dropping someone drafted inside the top 100 overall may seem like a change of course. But at this point in the season, hopes of a recovery from Semien have faded. One in four of you who already dropped him appear to be sages.

Semien has been one of the most consistent hitters in recent seasons. In his first three seasons with the Rangers, Semien missed four games in three years. His batting average and expected batting average (xBA) were never more than 0.014 different in any of those three seasons.

Fantasy managers were confident they would be getting a solid floor from Semien this year. Unfortunately, he's setting a new low floor. After 58 games, Semien has four home runs, 21 RBI, 16 runs, and four stolen bases along with a .193/.278/.257 slash line.

If you have held this long, Semien at least gave you a night to remember on Friday. He filled the stat sheet with a 4-for-4 performance in which he homered, stole a base, drove in three runs, and scored three runs himself.

Following a slow start to the year, there was justifiable hope that Semien would start to pick up. He has not.  That hope was based on his career numbers, which indicate that he's a slow starter. As we can see from his cumulative slash line this year, he's almost plateaued throughout May.

Semien was included in The Cut List in April. At that point, I said he's worth holding, for now. I mentioned that "in 2022, Semien ended April with a .157/.226/.217 slash line. He ended the year hitting .248/.304/.429 with 26 homers, 83 RBI, 101 runs, and 25 steals."

That year, Semien hit .233/.298/.320 in May, so he still hadn't shown signs of life heading into June. Semien ended May with a 3.8% Barrel% and 28.8% HardHit%. This year, Semien has an 8.4% Barrel% and 35.5% HardHit%. I'm not saying this because I believe Semien can repeat what he did in 2022.

But he has done it before. Semien has gone on to a solid season despite a dire first two months of the season. The only difference is that Semien has another three years and ~500 MLB games in his legs. It might not be as easy to flip a switch and start performing at a high level anymore.

I wouldn't question anyone who has dropped Semien. Nor will I question anyone who has held on. At this stage, hoping he can still be a productive fantasy producer looks optimistic at best. While I wouldn't bet on a recovery this year, I wouldn't rule it out completely either.

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