The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who to Consider Dropping for Fantasy Baseball (Week 12)

The Cut List for Week 12 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 12 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 Walker - RP, San Francisco Giants - 70% rostered

Last year, Walker gained the closer role from Camilo Doval after the latter struggled. This year, it's roles-reversed. Walker has been replaced as the Giants' closer in favour of Doval. Manager Bob Melvin announced the change over two weeks ago, so it's surprising to see Walker still so highly rostered.

Bob Melvin said in his postgame that Camilo Doval is the Giants’ closer and Ryan Walker shifts to setup role. Shouldn’t be a surprise.

— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) May 28, 2025

Of course, there's the possibility that Walker gets back into save situations. But his numbers this year don't suggest he will. On the year, Walker has a 1-3 W-L record, 4.39 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 25 Ks, and 10 saves (26 2/3 IP). He's also been tagged with three blown saves.

Walker hasn't been as bad as his numbers suggest. His 3.91 xFIP, 3.43 SIERA, and .303 BABIP hint that he's been unlucky. Especially given Walker's 27.3% Hard-Hit% allowed ranks in the 98th percentile. But Walker hasn't been tallying the strikeouts most teams covet in a closer.

Walker's 21.7% K% ranks in the 48th percentile and is significantly lower than his 32.1% K% from last year. Doval has also seen his strikeouts regress this year, after posting a 28.8% K% in 2024, he has a 23.6% K% this year.

On the surface, Doval has been lights out. If we look a little deeper, he has been fortunate. Doval's 3.70 xFIP and 3.74 SIERA belie his 1.69 ERA. We are likely to see some regression from Doval. But for now, he's the man entrusted with save opportunities, and that's the key from a fantasy standpoint.

Verdict: Walker still has value in holds leagues. Since May 28, he's tallied five holds with a 2.35 ERA. I wouldn't be surprised if Walker picks up some saves or Doval ends up losing the role himself this year. For now, Walker's only value is in deep saves-only leagues, or those counting holds.

Bryce Miller - SP, Seattle Mariners - 67% rostered

It's been a tough few weeks for Miller. After a rough start to the season, he landed on the IL (injured list) due to an elbow issue, something Miller stated at the time that he'd been dealing with since the end of last season. Walker was on the IL for less than three weeks.

He returned, made two starts, gave up eight earned runs in nine innings, then went back on the IL with an elbow injury. Miller received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow earlier this week and will be shut down from throwing for two weeks. The hope is Miller can pitch again in 4-6 weeks.

How much impact the elbow issue has had on Miller's performances remains to be seen. Given the treatment he's now receiving, it certainly seems like Miller can put his struggles down to the elbow problem. His numbers have collectively been bad throughout 2025.

Interestingly, after struggling with walks to start the season, Miller only allowed four free passes in his last four starts. The two starts before and two starts after his first IL stint helped Miller lower his walk-rate (from 14.7% BB% to 10.6% BB%).

If Miller can regain his control and command upon return, we should see improved numbers. Given that he limited the walks immediately before and after the IL stint, Miller might need more than recuperation to get back to his best. That's something we won't find out for a few weeks.

Verdict: As always, if you have a spare IL spot, put Miller on it and give him two or three starts when he's healthy to see how he fares. My concern is that we might not see Miller until August, and he has not been good enough to roster in fantasy this year. If you can't stash him, move on.

Hold For Now

Logan O'Hoppe - C, Los Angeles Angels - 80% rostered

The catcher position is one I tend to be most fluid with. Although I don't have many rules when it comes to the position, I generally only roster one who offers a significant statistical advantage over others. It might be from volume. It might be from stolen bases. In O'Hoppe's case, it's his power.

After 58 games, O'Hoppe has 14 home runs, 31 RBI, 21 runs, and no stolen bases. He also has a .231/.261/.442 slash line. The low batting average and 3.7% BB% will help explain why he's only scored 21 runs. You'd still have expected O'Hoppe to be driven in by his teammates more than seven times.

It's those home runs that drive O'Hoppe's fantasy value. Although 14 home runs don't seem like a lot, only Cal Raleigh (26) has hit more among catchers. That's a bit of an indictment of the catcher position. O'Hoppe's power is also supported by his hit metrics.

O'Hoppe's 16.9% Barrel% ranks in the 96th percentile. His 52.9% Hard-Hit% ranks in the 93rd percentile. O'Hoppe also has a .493 xSLG (expected slugging percentage), which is quite a bit better than his actual slugging percentage.

The reason for concern with O'Hoppe is his recent slump. Since his last home run on May 22, O'Hoppe is hitting .109/.125/.127. However, his slump isn't quite as it seems. During the cold spell, O'Hoppe has a 57.6% Hard-Hit%. Unfortunately, he's just been hitting more groundballs and fewer flyballs.

O'Hoppe's xwOBA has maintained at a high level during the recent power outage. There's enough optimism to believe he can turn things around, and 30 homers this year is still in play.

In shallow leagues, O'Hoppe is not a certain hold. If you have plenty of power and can find another catcher on waivers who will help you elsewhere, dropping O'Hoppe makes sense. But for most fantasy managers, O'Hoppe's power will be a big advantage over your opponents at the position.

Josh Jung - 3B, Texas Rangers - 52% rostered

Jung's year so far has been indicative of the Rangers as a whole. As a team, Texas ranks 26th in runs scored (263), despite scoring 16 runs twice this week. Part of the reason for keeping Jung rostered is their recent offensive outburst.

The Rangers had a much-publicised change with their hitting coaches. Bret Boone was appointed as the team's new hitting guru in early May. Since Boone's appointment, the Rangers rank 19th in runs scored (155). Only the Red Sox (71) and Mets (73) have scored more runs than Texas (67) in June.

Despite having an uptick in form following Boone's arrival, Jung's numbers have been trending downwards more recently, as we can see below.

Jung has put up solid numbers in his MLB career. The problem has been staying healthy. In 2022, Jung was limited to a total of 57 games in the Minor Leagues and Majors. He then played 122 MLB games in 2023 (homering 23 times) and was again limited in 2024, playing just 53 games at all levels.

So it's been encouraging that Jung has played 62 games so far. If his bat can match his health, Jung could still provide plenty of value at a position that lacks some depth.

We're still in the infancy of Boone's reign as the Rangers' hitting coach, but things are trending up. I'm willing to give Jung a bit more time to see if he can catch fire. If by the end of June, Jung is struggling and not producing any fantasy value, I'd have no problems cutting ties in almost all formats.

On the Hot Seat

William Contreras - C, Milwaukee Brewers - 98% rostered

You have to go back to 2023 for the last time a catcher was put on the Hot Seat. In the case of Contreras, it is more than justified. Contreras was a top-50 pick and has not come close to providing that value. After 67 games, Contreras is hitting .240/.347/.351 with six homers, 31 RBI, 36 runs, and five steals.

Over the previous three seasons, Contreras' season average was 20 homers, 72 RBI, 79 runs, and six steals while hitting .283/.363/.472 in 131 games. This year, Contreras has a 131-game pace of 12 home runs, 61 RBI, 70 runs, and 10 stolen bases. Aside from the steals, 2025 is trending towards being a down year.

Despite his disappointing numbers and not coming close to returning value on his ADP (average draft position), Contreras still ranks sixth among catchers on Yahoo! (standard 5x5 roto scoring). That goes a long way to highlighting how weak the position is in fantasy.

Unlike other players in this week's Cut List, there isn't much to suggest Contreras will turn things around. His .231 xBA and .360 xSLG are similar to his actual numbers. In addition, most of his quality of contact numbers are below league average. Only Contreras' 14.4% BB% (94th percentile) stands out.

Despite his struggles, Contreras is still hitting in the heart of the Brewers' lineup. That, and his plate discipline, has enabled him to score 36 runs. That's the second most among catchers. Contreras' five steals are also the second most at the position.

It's difficult to see how he turns things around this year. But, even while struggling, Contreras has been providing some fantasy value at a position with a dearth of options. With a proven track record and still contributing to fantasy teams, Contreras is worth holding.

If things start to go south, then we have a problem. A move down the order could trigger that downturn in fantasy value and could render Contreras replaceable for the remainder of this year. Hopefully, yesterday's home run can kick-start a summer return to form.

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.

Corey Seager - SS, Texas Rangers - 95% rostered

Seager has been getting more frequently requested in recent weeks. I've resisted including him until now. Although I have relented and included the former World Series MVP, I am still 100% of the mindset that you should not drop Seager. If anything, he's one of the best buy-low candidates.

We've already covered how the Rangers have collectively improved following a change with their hitting coach. We've already covered how some players can expect an improvement in their fortunes due to their expected numbers. Seager falls into both categories.

The table below looks at Seager's actual numbers and expected numbers each season since signing with the Rangers. As we can see, this year's expected numbers are very similar to those in previous years. They're markedly better than the actual numbers Seager has.

Just because a player has better expected numbers doesn't guarantee his actual numbers will improve. Seager's 2022 season will testify to that. However, I'd rather bet on a veteran with a lengthy history of elite numbers turning things around, even without the expected numbers Seager has this year.

My only concern with Seager is his health. His two IL stints so far mean Seager has now had five spells on the IL since the start of the 2023 season. Providing he avoids a third trip to the injured list this year, Seager is still primed to put up excellent numbers over the remainder of 2025.

Geraldo Perdomo - SS, Arizona Diamondbacks - 79% rostered

Perdomo's first two full seasons in the majors were largely unimpactful. That made last year's mini-breakout all the more surprising. In 2024, Perdomo hit .273/.344/.374 with three homers, 37 RBI, 61 runs, and nine steals in 98 games.

Nothing special, but still a good batting average with a little bit of speed sprinkled in. So when Perdomo ended May of this year with a .287/.384/.441 slash line, it had many thinking this was a full breakout. It still might be. However, his June regression seems to be more in line with what we should expect.

This month, Perdomo is hitting .200/.283/.378. However, he does have back-to-back multi-hit games this weekend. Considering Perdomo's .251 xBA, regression was always likely. While he is better than a .200 hitter, he's not a .300 hitter either. Somewhere in the middle seems more plausible over a full season.

Perdomo's fantasy value is aided by where he hits for Arizona. He has been hitting third recently. That's after hitting first or second to start the season and hitting ninth in 19 games. As a switch-hitter, Arizona can fit Perdomo in around certain matchups with the remainder of their lineup.

For fantasy purposes, Perdomo is more of a deeper league option. He makes a fine temporary replacement in shallow leagues but lacks the upside to be a mainstay in such leagues. We've probably seen the best two-month spell Perdomo will have, so don't expect a repeat of his April and May numbers.

Ezequiel Tovar - SS, Colorado Rockies - 51% rostered

Tovar is currently residing on the IL due to a left oblique strain. It's his second IL stint after missing four weeks with a hip injury earlier in the year. That means fantasy managers don't need to decide whether to drop or hold him, provided they have an IL spot available to stash Tovar on.

Frustratingly, there's been little news about Tovar and how long he is expected to be out for. We could see him return next week. We may not see Tovar back on the field until mid-July. That doesn't help fantasy managers with their decision-making.

One thing we do know is how much Coors Field helps Rockies hitters. Tovar is no exception. He's a career .287/.324/.463 hitter at home and .234/.260/.407 hitter on the road. This year, those splits are even greater. Tovar is hitting .417/.472/.625 in Colorado and .163/.193/.275 everywhere else.

Something we can see easily is that Tovar's expected numbers are better than his actual numbers. In what has become something of a theme this week, Tovar has a .303 xBA and .500 xSLG. He's been better than his .258/.301/.406 slash line suggests.

What may not have been so clear is the impact an injury had on Tovar. Prior to going on the IL, he was struggling. Tovar hit .184/.225/.289 in the 10 games before the injury forced him to miss time. If we look at Tovar's rolling average exit velocity, it began to regress just before landing on the IL.

I'm no doctor, but it seems that Tovar was dealing with some issues leading up to his eventual placement on the injured list. Provided he can return fully healthy, there's no reason to believe Tovar can't perform like he was before that 10-game slump. He was hitting .289/.333/.456 before then.

When Tovar returns, just playing in Colorado will make him worth consideration for your fantasy teams. His home and road splits weren't too wide in 2024, and he hit an equal number of homers (13) at Coors Field and in away games last year.

Despite that, like so many Rockies hitters, when they're not playing at home, Tovar won't provide much value. At home, Tovar does have top-10 shortstop upside. That makes him a much better option in daily lineup leagues.

In deeper leagues, Tovar is still also worth rostering if you can stash him without harming your team in the short term. In shallower leagues that have weekly lineups, you could probably find a better option on waivers. Maybe just stream Tovar when the Rockies have a long homestand.

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