The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who to Consider Dropping for Fantasy Baseball (Week 25)

September 18, 2025

The Cut List for Week 25 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 25 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?

Sandy Alcantara - SP, Miami Marlins - 73% rostered

There can be no doubting that Alcantara has managed to turn his season around. After undergoing Tommy John Surgery (TJS) in late 2023, he missed the entire 2024 season. So it shouldn't have been a big surprise when Alcantara struggled to begin this campaign.

Having posted a 3.09 ERA in his last 10 starts, why would we consider dropping Alcantara now? The reason is purely down to his remaining schedule. Alcantara is currently lined up for two more starts. The first is next Thursday against the Rockies. In Colorado.

Like many, Coors Field has not been kind to Alcantara. In three career starts there, he has a 7.56 ERA. Alcantara also has a 7.24 ERA on the road this year and a 4.53 ERA at home. Nothing is appealing about next week's start. If it's the final week of your fantasy season, Alcantara may need to be replaced.

If you're planning to bench Alcantara so you have him rostered for the following week, that may not work out either. Alcantara is scheduled to face the Phillies. Since August 1, Philadelphia's 131 wRC+ against RHP ranks third best in baseball. He also has an 8.31 ERA against the Phillies this year (three starts).

Verdict: There's a good chance that next week's outing will be Alcantara's last of 2025. Whether or not he has one more start, Alcantara is likely done from a fantasy standpoint. You couldn't have picked a much worse finish than he has, and it's far too risky starting Alcantara with championships on the line.

Nick Castellanos - OF Philadelphia Phillies - 68% rostered

Fantasy managers will be all too aware of how badly Castellanos has been slumping. His struggles have been so bad that Castellanos is no longer a regular in the Phillies' starting lineup. While he's not strictly in a platoon, Castellanos hasn't been starting most games against right-handed pitchers (RHP).

The Phillies have preferred going with leftie Max Kepler in right field when facing RHP. Castellanos did start three straight games between last Sunday and Tuesday. Two of those were against RHP. That was after sitting out four of Philadelphia's first five games in September.

And Castellanos has now sat out the Phillies' last three games against a rightie. Next week, the Phillies are set to face five RHP with Blake Snell being the only leftie. That does not bode well for Castellanos' playing time. And it's not like he's done enough to warrant more at-bats.

In July, Castellanos hit .207/.242/.356 with a 62 wRC+ (91 plate appearances). Things got worse in August with the veteran outfielder hitting .180/.240/.270 with a 41 wRC+ last month (96 plate appearances). Castellanos has gone 7-for-19 this month, but still has just one home run since August 3.

Verdict: Castellanos has been hitting better in September. But that's a very small sample, and he's only 3-for-12 against RHP this month. Castellanos appears set to continue in a part-time role to end the regular season, leaving his fantasy value low enough to warrant replacing him in all leagues.

Hold For Now

Dylan Cease - SP, San Diego Padres - 94% rostered

Cease has been no stranger to The Cut List this year. While he has been a consistent source of strikeouts all season (ranking fifth in total strikeouts), that's all Cease has offered fantasy managers. After 30 starts, Cease has an 8-11 W-L record, 4.59 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 201 Ks (157 innings).

Cease only has two starts left on his schedule. And as of a few days ago, those two starts were enough to make Cease an easy drop. He was set to face the Mets next Thursday and then the Brewers in the final week of the season. However, instead of starting on Friday, Cease started yesterday's game.

JP Sears will start for Padres on Friday.
That pushes everybody back.

How it lines up:
Dylan Cease on Saturday.
Yu Darvish on Sunday.
Michael King vs. Mets on Tuesday.

Gives starters a rest before the final push and playoffs.

— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) September 11, 2025

Cease looked very good yesterday. He struck out six in six innings, allowing just one run on five hits and a walk. Granted, it was a home game against the Rockies. That should act as a reminder of the importance of pitching schedules at this stage, and the need to look ahead before dropping anyone.

The change in the Padres' rotation means Cease will now face the White Sox in Chicago next week. The White Sox aren't as easy a proposition as you may think. Since August 1, their 104 wRC+ against RHP ranks 15th. However, the Mets rank first with a 138 wRC+, so Cease has an easier opponent.

Cease is still set to face the Brewers the following week. The Brewers' 133 wRC+ against RHP since August 1 is the second-best in the Majors. So Cease was set to face the two toughest opponents to end 2025. If you play the final week of the season, Cease will likely be dropped next weekend.

Cease isn't a sure-fire start next week in fantasy. There's still a chance he gives up four runs in five innings and strikes out eight batters. It's very much 'need dependent'. But his outlook has improved following being pushed back a day, so he should still be considered as a solid option next week at the very least.

Andrew Abbott - SP, Cincinnati Reds - 77% rostered

After posting a 5.14 ERA over his previous five starts, Abbott had one of his best outings of the year on Wednesday. Abbott limited the Padres to one run over eight innings, on five hits and two walks. He also struck out six batters. That's left Abbott with a 9-6 W-L record, 2.79 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 136 Ks (151 2/3 innings).

8 DOMINANT INNINGS FROM ANDREW ABBOTT pic.twitter.com/GOhpoKkIJb

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 11, 2025

That should be enough to warrant holding onto Abbott. There were some understandable concerns about Abbott slowing down recently, as evidenced by his increasing ERA. Abbott has already set a career-high for innings pitched in a season since becoming a pro. It would be understandable if he slowed down.

The main reason for holding Abbott was his upcoming schedule. Abbott is poised to be a significant determining factor in fantasy championships. Things could change, of course. But as of now, Abbott is set to face the Cardinals and Cubs next week.

Since August 1, the Cardinals rank 14th in wRC+ (104) against left-handed pitching (LHP). According to Statcast, St. Louis' Busch Stadium is the joint-seventh most pitcher-friendly ballpark this year. Back in June, Abbott limited the Cardinals to one run over seven innings in St. Louis.

The Cubs game may seem scary, given it's in Cincinnati. Overall, Statcast ranks Great American Ball Park as the joint 12th most hitter-friendly ballpark. And since August 1, the Cubs only rank 22nd in wRC+ (92) against LHP. Abbott has faced the Cubs three times this year and has a 2.33 ERA against them.

Even before Wednesday's performance, I was prepared to roll with Abbott next week. If you do play the final week of the regular season, Abbott is scheduled to face the Brewers in Milwaukee. That is a concern, but there's little reason why Abbott shouldn't be started next week.

On the Hot Seat

Christian Yelich - OF, Milwaukee Brewers - 94% rostered

The Brewers caused immense frustration for fantasy managers at the beginning of September. Yelich was scratched from the lineup on September 3 due to lower back soreness. Rather than place Yelich on the IL (injured list), Yelich just sat out the Brewers' next five games, leaving fantasy managers in limbo.

Pat Murphy cited this hustle double against the D-backs as when Christian Yelich first felt something in his back. "He wanted to keep playing because he loves the guys and wants to represent every day and post every day so they get in the habit of posting every day." pic.twitter.com/OEKk973TpE

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) September 4, 2025

Yelich eventually returned to the lineup on Monday and has played in the last five games. He's gone 4-for-22 with a homer, a double, four RBI, two runs, and a stolen base. He struck out three times on Wednesday before bouncing back with a homer in the next game on Friday.

Fantasy managers hoping that Friday's home run was the sign Yelich was 'back' (pun intended) had those hopes dashed yesterday. Yelich went 0-for-5 in a 10-inning game that saw the Brewers score nine runs. Yelich did salvage his evening with an RBI, scoring Jackson Chourio on a groundout.

Yelich has been dealing with back issues for some time, even missing most of 2024. That ultimately led to back surgery. He's been predominantly used as the DH (designated hitter) this year to keep Yelich healthy. Having played 137 games so far, this approach has largely been effective.

The problem for fantasy managers is determining Yelich's health status. Very few players or teams are honest about dealing with injuries and playing through them. We just have to assume that if a player is healthy enough to play, they are healthy enough to still be rostered.

Yelich's schedule next week isn't too bad. Three home games against the Angels, where he's due to face Kyle Hendricks, Jose Soriano, and Yusei Kikuchi. Since August 1, Hendricks has a 4.22 ERA, Soriano a 5.87 ERA, and Kikuchi a 7.49 ERA. Yelich will then have three games in St. Louis.

It's a similar story for the Cardinals' trio of pitchers Yelich is set to face. Since August 1, Sonny Gray has a 4.56 ERA, Miles Mikolas has a 4.86 ERA, and Matthew Liberatore has a 5.25 ERA. There's nothing to make Yelich's fantasy managers steer clear of him, except the back issues.

One other thing to note for those in dynasty leagues: Yelich has only played the outfield 19 times this year. If your league requires 20+ games to be played at a position to qualify for that position next year, you'll be sweating the final two weeks of the season.

If Yelich does play the outfield again this year, it will be a good sign for redraft league managers, too. That should be the signal that Yelich is healthier and ready to continue what has been a productive season. Unless there's a setback with his back leading to more missed time, Yelich should be started.

Reader Requests

Next week is the last Cut List of the year. And as in previous years, we'll just be looking at teams' schedules that will impact certain players. Thank you to everyone who has read, engaged, and requested names this year.

You can still reach out to me and the RotoBaller team if you have any specific queries or questions. Drop your question on the Reddit thread or in the RotoBaller Discord chat rooms. Alternatively, you can reach out to me or the RotoBaller MLB team directly on X.

Manny Machado - 3B, San Diego Padres - 99% rostered

Machado might seem like an odd choice to include in The Cut List. But his fantasy managers will be all too aware of his struggles in recent weeks. We aren't just talking about a couple of weeks. Since August 1, Machado has hit .206/.272/.342 with a 73 wRC+. This has been a six-week slump.

Things had been getting worse recently. That was until this weekend. Machado has homered in back-to-back games against the Rockies. Only four players have hit more than the four homers Machado has in September. It looks like he's finally turned the corner on his recent struggles.

Last weekend, Machado salvaged his series in Colorado with a home run and a double in Sunday's game. He went 0-for-9 in the previous two games. Machado followed that up with three straight 0-for-4 performances against the Reds. So it was a struggle to believe Machado can have a solid upcoming week.

That's even with his scheduled matchups. The Padres have six road games. Machado has slightly better numbers on the road, hitting .264/.315/.446 at Petco Park and .284/.353/.463 out of San Diego. First up is the Mets, who have a 6.24 ERA as a team this month and a 5.27 ERA since August 1.

Then comes the White Sox, whose 4.75 ERA since August 1 is the eighth worst in the Majors. The opponents are appealing, even if the ballparks Machado will play in aren't hitter-friendly.

.

The last two games should have cast off any doubts fantasy managers had with Machado. The reality is, you don't want to be going into the final week or two of the season having just dropped one of your top-four picks in the draft. Just keep everything crossed that Machado can maintain this hot streak.

James Wood - OF, Washington Nationals - 98% rostered

Even with such lofty expectations, Wood's first full season in the Majors has gone well. After 145 games, the Nationals' young outfielder has 27 homers, 88 RBI, 81 runs, and 15 steals with a .260/.356/.473 slash line. That's enough for Wood to rank 15th among outfielders on Yahoo!.

So, why are some questioning whether he's worth keeping for the final fortnight of the season? Well, Wood has slowed down considerably in the second half of 2025. We can see from Wood's monthly splits how much he's cooled off after such a productive start to the season.

The good news is that Wood seems to have picked things up again this week. In four games, he's gone 8-for-20 with five of the eight hits being doubles. That's only translated into two RBI, and Wood was caught stealing. But it's still been a positive few days after a negative few weeks.

In more good news/bad news, the Nationals have seven games next week. However, he's expected to face Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, and Hurston Waldrep to begin with. Then Wood will likely face off against the Mets' impressive rookie trio of Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Nolan McLean.

Those matchups aren't quite enough to scare you away from starting Wood. He's begun to regain some production at the plate this week, and if he can turn a couple of the doubles into home runs, Wood could have a strong end to what has been a productive 2025 season.

Jackson Merrill - OF, San Diego Padres - 89% rostered

Merrill has homered three times in September. He's failed to hit four home runs in a calendar month this year. That's how disappointing Merrill has been in 2025. In his defense, Merrill does have a valid reason for his disappointing sophomore campaign.

Three stints on the injured list is not conducive to performing at your best. That's what Merrill has had to deal with this year. An ankle sprain in August came after a concussion in May and a hamstring strain in April. The injuries have limited Merrill to only 102 games.

Since returning from the ankle sprain on September 1, Merrill has hit .225/.279/.600. As well as the three homers, Merrill has two triples, two doubles, and two singles. Maybe he's taking out his frustrations on the baseball and selling out for more power.

That certainly could be the case, as Merrill has been hitting the ball harder this month than he has for most of the season.

That's not to say I believe Merrill is definitely worth holding for the final two weeks of the season. He's only hitting .230/.268/.360 against LHP this year (.240/.276/.370 in 2024), and the Padres start next week by facing two lefties (against the Mets).

In daily lineup leagues, you can bench Merrill and play a better matchup when the Padres face an LHP. In weekly leagues, you may have to suffer the lack of production against lefties to reap what he's been doing against righties lately. Merrill selling out for power may salvage what has been a lackluster year.

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