If you find yourself still reading fantasy baseball columns at this time of year, then congratulations are in order. You are in the hunt for your league’s championship, and that is no easy feat. Especially after the season we’ve endured, between the massive run of injuries and sketchy pitching performances from men we believed to be aces. But looking back and wondering “what if” does you no good now. You have rounded the final turn and are now in the home stretch. And though the first five months were arduous enough, this final month of the season will be even more difficult.
As we approach Sept. 1 and prepare for the deluge of prospects who will arrive as rosters expand, you need to do another inventory of your team. Whether you are playing in a standard rotisserie league or a head-to-head format with playoffs about to begin, you need to start looking at who is failing your team and start making some tough cuts. There is no more waiting for them to turn things around. How long do you give them when there is no tomorrow?
When the Indians made a trade to acquire Franmil Reyes, they were expecting to add a big bat to the middle of their lineup and push themselves over the finish line and into the wild card. After all, the big righty smashed 27 home runs in just 321 at-bats with the Padres leading up to the deal. Since acquiring him, though, the Indians have received just two home runs, a .154 average and a 36.6 percent strikeout rate. If your fantasy team needs power, it is time to stop waiting on Reyes and start looking for almost anyone else.
There are a number of players who have struggled through the month of August and should be jettisoned from your squad. It doesn’t matter how well they performed in May. If they aren’t performing now when it is most needed, their teams will find someone who will and you should follow suit. Players such as Dan Vogelbach, Alex Gordon, Cavan Biggio, Wil Myers and Jean Segura all have failed miserably recently, and none of them have shown signs of turning things around. As their teams fall further out of the race, most, if not all, of these guys will see a major reduction in playing time. As a result, none of them should be lingering on your roster.
If you are playing in a keeper or dynasty format, it becomes a little tougher to make these cuts, but that is why you have a bigger bench in those formats. Those of you in redraft leagues don’t have the same luxury, which is why you need to act now. Lose the fear that another owner will pick one of these guys up and beat you with him. If anything, cutting him will only tempt them into the struggle you have already won.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at Fantasy Alarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 4-6 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy sports advice, MLB lineups and DFS weather updates.
