RADIO
Welcome to Week 14 of the Cut List. In this edition, I take a look at the recent performances of Joey Gallo, Tommy Pham, Travis Shaw, and Kyle Hendricks. Has Gallo underperformed expectations? Why is Pham hitting .246? Is Shaw not the bonafide slugger we thought he was? Is Hendricks viable in standard leagues?
I was absent last week and Kent Shen filled in admirably for me, but now I’m back to dissect some player profiles. Let’s dive in!
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Time to Move On
Joey Gallo (1B/3B/OF, TEX) - .155 BA, 8 runs, 4 HR, 9 RBI in last 30 days
Cut in 10-team leagues
Why you should cut him: His 11.7% walk rate is a career-low, but he lowered his swinging strike rate and strikeout rate, so what’s the problem here? This is simply Gallo being Gallo, and it’s about time standard league owners cut the line if, and only if, there are better options on the free agent list. If, for some reason, Brian Anderson or Derek Dietrich are available, Gallo owners shouldn’t hesitate adding one of them and cutting Gallo. Does Gallo have more upside than both of them? Probably, but his painfully low average doesn’t do anyone any favors, and you need to get producers on your roster.
Better 1B/3B/OF options: Ben Zobrist, Scott Schebler
Tommy Pham (OF, STL) - .204 BA, 16 runs, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB in last 30 days
Cut in 10-team leagues
Why you should cut him: Pham is hitless since June 19 and he didn’t score a run, hit a home run, or steal a base in that time, either. This is the cut suggestion I’m least confident in, but nonetheless, if he’s not producing, he’s not worth owning in shallow leagues for the time being. It’s worth noting his fantastic 2017 numbers, however. He has 20/20 upside and finished last season with a 6.1 WAR. Cut him at your own risk.
Better OF option: Brian Anderson
Travis Shaw (3B, MIL) - .206 BA, 7 runs, 1 HR, 11 RBI in last 30 days
Cut in 10-team leagues
Why you should cut him: Shaw’s dealing with an annoying wrist injury at the moment, so take this cut suggestion with a grain of salt. Do not look at Shaw’s .240 batting average and think it’s representative of his real talent level. That’s simply not true. When healthy and firing on all cylinders, he’s a legitimate 30 HR, 90+ RBI everyday slugger. His .251 BABIP and career-high 23.8% soft contact rate aren’t helping him break out of his slump, so he’s a safe cut in ten teamers for the time being. You can wait for positive regression or you can look to guys like Jake Lamb or Derek Dietrich to provide more for your team.
Better 3B options: Jake Lamb, Derek Dietrich
Kyle Hendricks (SP, CHC) - 7.03 ERA, 15 BB, 18 strikeouts, 26 hits allowed in last 30 days
Cut in 10-team leagues
Why you should cut him: Hendricks has always outperformed his peripheral metrics, and a career-low 6.85 K/9 and career-high 2.84 BB/9 aren’t good enough to warrant ownership in standard formats. As if his owners needed more justification to cut him, he’s been trending downwards since his fantastic 2016 season. Ask yourself this: is your perception of Hendricks inflated because of his 2016 2.13 ERA or do you really think he’s a top-of-the-rotation arm? I drafted Hendricks in one of my leagues and I can honestly say his 2016 outing clouded my judgement of his talent heading into this season.
Better SP options: Freddy Peralta, Shane Bieber
Update on Last Week’s Cuts
Luke Weaver (SP, STL)
- 9 strikeouts, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 hits allowed in 5.2 innings on June 24 start at Milwaukee
- After giving up four earned runs in his past three starts, Weaver righted the ship in Milwaukee. Weaver’s strikeout upside and command are tantalizing and you should expect more starts like this in the future.
Dallas Keuchel (SP, HOU)
- 3 strikeouts, 6 ER, 3 BB, 7 hits allowed in 5.1 innings on June 27 start vs. Toronto
- Keuchel’s peripherals are promising and warrant optimism, and this one bad start shouldn’t have owners panicking. Trust the track record, trust the talent. Keuchel will start consistently dominating very soon.
Gregory Polanco (OF, PIT)
- 7-for-15 (.466), 3 runs, 2 HR, 6 RBI since June 24
- Polanco is hitting .313 over the last 30 days, so it’s safe to say he shook off the early season rust. Apparently, Polanco made a real adjustment after working with the Pirates’ coaching staff. He backed off the plate and adjusted his swing path. The results have been fantastic after a month.
Kyle Seager (3B, SEA)
- 6-for-20 (.300), 3 runs, 2 HR, 5 RBI since June 24
- What’s there to say about Seager that we don’t know already? He’s currently barely viable in standard shallow leagues and you have every right to drop him if you feel the urge.
