Statistical production is all that matters in fantasy baseball. You must take emotion out of your decision-making process.
You might be the biggest fan in the world, but if a player isn’t pulling his weight, it is time to say goodbye, especially if their presence is doing more harm than good.
Some decisions, especially when prime draft capital has been spent, are more difficult than others, but take a cue from your children, your nieces and your nephews.
You must be like Elsa from Frozen and “let it go.”
What happened to Joe Musgrove? He brought us two straight seasons of at least 180 innings with rock-solid ratios and more than a strikeout per inning.
He seemed well on his way to a third season of similar production, only to miss the second half with a shoulder injury.
He worked his way back this season, and though he got a late start this year, his performance has been less than desirable, and it just might be time to cut bait.
Through 10 starts this season, Musgrove has provided his fantasy managers just three wins with a 5.66 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.
His K-rate is down almost a full strikeout per inning, and both his walk-rate and home runs allowed are up.
We also have seen a slight dip in his velocity, and none of his underlying metrics like FIP, xFIP or xERA indicate potential improvement.
His command is off, and batters aren’t swinging at his excessive outside-the-zone offerings.
You can pin the blame on the injury and opine that a better second half is coming, but the longer he struggles with his command and control, the harder it will be for him to improve, as his pitch counts are being driven through the roof.
People holding onto Musgrove are doing so based on name recognition alone. But he really is no better than guys such as Kyle Hendricks or Reid Detmers.
We also have a number of hitters of that same ilk. Cedric Mullins might have 11 stolen bases, but there is minimal power production, and that .188 average is killing your team right now.
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George Springer is another prime example as well. Age and decline are a natural part of this game, so don’t be blinded by what he did for you three years ago.
Though it can be very easy to get attached to certain players, you must resist the urge.
The past doesn’t matter when you the present is this bad. Hoping for a rebound will only frustrate you further as the days of disappointment roll by.
Be the Elsa of your league. Let it go, let it go, turn away and slam the door.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball news and advice.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]