Welcome to Week 15 of the Cut List. Each week, I highlight players who you should consider letting go in your fantasy baseball leagues. Whether it's hyped prospects who hit a wall or veterans in extended slumps, sometimes it's best to know when to move on.
This week I’m taking a look at Ian Kinsler, Salvador Perez, Yasiel Puig, and Cole Hamels. I think these guys are safe cuts in nearly all standard leagues. Kinsler isn’t worth holding in shallow formats, Perez is slumping, Puig is replaceable, and Hamels is too inconsistent.
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Time to Move On
Ian Kinsler (2B, LAA)
Cut in 12-team leagues
Why you should cut him: Kinsler is stuck in the worst season of his career at 36-years-old. His .217 BA and lack of speed aren’t worth owning in standard formats with numerous options on the free agent list. He’s batting .225 with only one stolen base in the past thirty days. If you can find a better player on the waiver wire - and you surely can - there’s no reason Kinsler should be on your roster. Look to a guy like Paul DeJong to provide real production in your second base slot.
Better 2B option: Paul DeJong
Salvador Perez (C, KC)
Cut in 10-team leagues
Why you should cut him: What do we do here? Is Perez worth stashing until he breaks out of this slump? Probably, but if your bench is shallow and you have no one else to cut, Perez is a safe drop candidate for the time being. He’s only had two RBI, three runs, and one HR over the past thirty days and he’s still owned in 88% of ESPN leagues. Catcher is shallow, but it’s not that shallow. If and when you do cut him, however, don’t be shocked when he finishes the season hitting .260 with 20+ HR.
Better C option: Elias Diaz
Yasiel Puig (OF, LAD)
Cut in 10 and 12 team leagues
Why you should cut him: This is tough because he hit .282 over the past thirty days, but he’s the number 43 OF in ESPN standard leagues. Yeah, he’s been solid recently, but this is Puig we’re talking about here. Is this gonna be as good as it gets with him? I think cutting him for a hot waiver wire commodity would be very wise.
Better OF options: Avisail Garcia, Josh Reddick
Cole Hamels (SP, TEX)
Cut in 10 and 12 team leagues
Why you should cut him: Hamels’ .353 xwOBA and .260 xBA are major red flags moving forward. A career-high 1.76 K/9 and 5.00 FIP scream stay away as more unproven options look more enticing by the start. If you’re missing out on waiver wire breakouts for former studs like Hamels, you’re doing it wrong. I like Tyler Anderson and Steven Matz as cheap, reliable free agent options with high ceilings.
Better SP options: Tyler Anderson, Steven Matz, German Marquez
Update on Last Week’s Cuts
Joey Gallo (1B/3B/OF, TEX)
- 2-for-13 (.154), 2 runs, 1 HR, 4 RBI since July 1
- Pretty standard line from Gallo last week. One-hit games with a few RBI sprinkled in is pure Joey Gallo.
Tommy Pham (OF, STL)
- 8-for-26 (.307), 5 runs, 1 HR, 7 RBI since July 1
- I couldn’t be less surprised about this. Pham is a stud, but his cold streak was so awful for so long. He was bound to break out at some point.
Travis Shaw (3B, MIL)
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- 5-for-20 (.250), 1 run, 1 HR, 2 RBI since July 1
- He just needs to get rolling again and he’ll be fine. He wasn’t in the lineup on Thursday and he’s been hitless since. Stash him on your bench,
Kyle Hendricks (SP, CHC)
- 5.0 IP, 7 hits allowed, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 strikeouts on July 3 start vs. Detroit
- This is the Hendricks output we’ve come to expect this year. He’s down to 84% ownership on ESPN.
