The Cut List (Week 4): Time to Let Go?

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Cut List! I hope my suggestions have helped everyone sort their rosters out over the past few weeks. We’re slowly reaching that point where we can start trusting sample sizes, but we’re not quite there yet.

My goal with this weekly column is simple: I want to provide you with a ton of quick, easy-to-navigate information so you all can make the best add/drop decisions possible. New this week is the “Consider Dropping These Guys, Too” section. Creative header, right? In there you’ll find viable standard league options who haven’t reached full-blown cut status, but are nearing that point. Get ahead of the competition and cut a few of those guys if you own any of them.

Want some waiver wire advice to make up for those necessary cuts? Make sure you check out our waiver wire blog for the best pickup consultation around.

Time to Move On

Matt Davidson (3B/DH, CHW) - .216 BA, 10 runs, 5 HR, 11 RBI

Cut in 10-12 team leagues

Why you should cut him: extremely low batting average and inadequate contact rates are hard to roster in shallow leagues, 45.5 HR/FB.

Players like Matt Davidson aren’t worth owning in standard shallow leagues because of their low floors and low ceilings. What’s Davidson’s HR ceiling? 30 HR? 25 HR? You can find that sort of power anywhere in shallow leagues, and it doesn’t have to come at the expense of your team’s batting average.

Better 3B options: Jeimer Candelario, Maikel Franco, Derek Dietrich

Chris Owings (2B/SS, ARI) 4-for-27 (.148) since April 7 with 3 runs, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Cut in 10-12 team leagues

Why you should cut him: horrible production in the past few weeks, riding a major cold streak after starting hot, he’s a low-ceiling asset.

Kudos to the owners who hopped aboard the Owings train when he started off the season hot, but that streak has been over for weeks. He’s been the seventh most dropped player in ESPN leagues in the past seven days. You can do much better than Owings, but be sure to re-add him when he goes off on another hot streak at some point this year. Until then, cut the cord.

Better SS options: Gleyber Torres, Marcus Semien, Orlando Arcia

Ian Happ (2B/OF, CHC) - .204 BA, 4 runs, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB

Cut in 10-14 team leagues

Why you should cut him: puke-worthy metrics profile, 47.2 K%, 74 wRC+, .362 BABIP, workload is decreasing, Cubs don’t have to put up with his awfulness.

I remember watching Happ take Jose Urena deep on the first pitch of the season and thinking that he would surely ascend to fantasy star status this year. He’s been atrocious since then.

His BABIP really is .362 right now, 43 points above his career average. Expect him to turn his season around at some point, but he’s not worth owning until he breaks out of this slump.

Better 2B options: Cesar Hernandez, Howie Kendrick, Joe Panik, Scooter Gennett

Kole Calhoun (OF, LAA) - .192 BA, 10 runs, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB

Cut in 10-12 team leagues (don’t cut in deep leagues)

Why you should cut him: 33 wRC+ through 19 games, doesn’t have enough uspide to warrant a roster spot in standard shallow leagues during an extended cold streak, hold in deep leagues (14+ teams).

If you’re in a 14+ team league, I wouldn’t rush to drop Calhoun quite yet. His current 41.4% hard contact rate is a career-high and his 80% contact rate is actually three points above his career average. This cut suggestion is really just for anyone still holding him standard 10 or 12 team leagues. He’s a safe drop in those formats, but a hold in those sicko diehard deep leagues.

Better OF options: Mallex Smith, Michael Brantley, Nick Markakis, Preston Tucker

Lucas Giolito (SP, CHW) - 20 ER, 9 Ks, 18 hits allowed, 19 BB in three starts

Cut in all leagues

Why you should cut him: 7.29 xFIP, still young and underperforming talent level (big red flag), bad K and BB rates, can’t count on wins.  

This is clearly the easiest cut on the list and I started writing this before he gave up nine earned runs, five hits, and seven walks against the Astros on Saturday. He had a 19.1 FIP for that start. There’s really nothing else to say about Giolito at this point. He was once a top prospect and now he’s severely underperforming his talent level. Automatic drop.

Better SP options: Eduardo Rodriguez, Sean Newcomb, J.A. Happ, Tyson Ross, Brandon McCarthy

Consider Dropping These Guys, Too

Batters: Avisail Garcia, Eddie Rosario, Brian Anderson, Rougned Odor, Addison Russell

Pitchers: Marcus Stroman, Alex Cobb, Jon Gray

Update on Last Week’s Cuts

Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL)

• 7-for-20 (.350), 2 runs, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB since April 16
• Of course he turned up right after I suggested cutting him. He’s worth monitoring in all leagues now.

Kevin Kiermaier (OF, TB)

• Placed on the 60-day DL with a torn ligament in his right thumb

Blake Parker (RP, LAA)

• 2.1 IP, 3 hits allowed, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K in two appearances since April 16
• If he’s not closing, he’s not worth owning.

Felix Hernandez (SP, SEA)

• 5.1 IP, 4 hits allowed, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks in April 20 start

• Still carrying a career-low 6.75 K/9 and ugly peripherals (5.54 FIP). Safe cut.

More Busts and Overvalued Players