Who is Being Dropped & Why (Week 22)

I find this week’s drops sort of useless. The hitters being dropped are below-average performers in part-time roles.  The pitchers are home run prone. Maybe owners should check over the list to make sure none of these has-beens are filling up a roster spot. So, here are the players being dropped in six to nine leagues.

Hurt

• Roman Quinn (9): Providing some power and speed in sporadic playing time before going on on the IL.
• Pablo López (8): He has been slow at coming back from the IL and owners can’t wait.
• José Martínez (7): Shoulder issues keeping him on the IL.
• Michael Chavis (7): Slowly regaining his strength.
• Carlos Carrasco (6): If he even returns, he supposed to throw out of the bullpen. Fine drop.

Demoted

• None

Other

• Matt Wieters (9): With Yadier Molina back in the lineup, Wieters heads to the bench to wither.
• Lewis Brinson (9): Fantasy owners need to give up hope on Brinson being a major league hitter. In 596 PA, he’s hit .187/.236/.310 over three seasons. Until he finds some kind of plate discipline, he’s useless.
• Victor Caratini (9): Some owners must have been using him as a streaming option. He’s been OK as a catcher with a .252/.349/.424 slash line.
• Matt Thaiss (9): While he has six homers in 99 PA, his .202 AVG is a drag. The low batting average is from both a high strikeout rate (32%) and low BABIP (.235). He may not be ready for the major leagues yet.
• Cameron Maybin (9): Sporadic playing time (started five of nine games) is limiting his value even though he’s been productive (.914 OPS, 8 HR, 7 SB).
• Alex Young (8): Owners picked him up for a start against the Giants and were rewarded with five innings, five earned runs, and just two strikeouts.
• Shane Greene (8): Since joining the Braves he has one loss, two blown Saves, no actual Saves, an 8.59 ERA, and is no longer their closer.
• Andrew Cashner (7): The Red Sox have moved him to the bullpen.
• Tyler Beede (7): He’s just too homer prone (1.9 HR/9) and it’s inflating his ERA to 5.77. While he threw some great games in July, he’s back to being unplayable.
• Dustin May (7): Now a long reliever in the Dodgers bullpen.
• Jace Peterson (7): His .631 is not going to cut it in the majors but he is enticing owners with his four steals.
• Adam Duvall (7): He is the majors and then he’s not. He’s playing every day and then he’s not. He’s hitting and then he’s not. Owners are tired of the roller coaster ride.
• Cheslor Cuthbert (7): While decent in the season’s first half (.288/.315/.432), his production has tailed off (.227/.277/.356) in the second half.
• Isan Díaz (7): He’s done nothing in the majors since hitting a home run in his debut (.188/.245/.271).
• Chris Martin (7): It looked like he may have gotten some Saves in Atlanta with everyone else struggling, but he’s joined the bullpen blowup party with an 8.10 ERA.
• Bubba Starling (7): Useless. Hitting .210/.252/.295 with horrible plate discipline (5% BB%, 31% K%).
• Jurickson Profar (7): No longer a full-time player and his value fell.
• Asher Wojciechowski (7): While the over 10 K/9 is enticing, he’s just too homer prone (2.2 HR/9) leading to a 4.78 ERA.
• Ariel Jurado (6): He rewarded those owners who picked him up for a two-step against Toronto and Minnesota with 5.2 IP, 10 ER, and 3 K’s.
• Michael Brosseau (6): He’s hit decent (.785 OPS) but the Rays infield is too crowded. He’s only started three of the last six games.
• Shawn Armstrong (6): Owners don’t care about the Orioles closer with a 5.93 ERA.
• Drew Smyly (6): He’s gotten the walks (6.0 BB/9 to 2.8 BB/9) and home run (3.3 HR/9 to 1.9 HR/9) under control with the Phillies, but it has not been enough as seen by his 4.71 ERA.
• Blake Treinen (6): Why was he still owned? A perfect example of the Sunk Cost Fallacy.