Baseball has reached the two-week mark in its season. Even though it is early, patterns are beginning to emerge. Perhaps you read my article with waiver wire pickup options earlier in the week and wanted to make a move. However, before one can do that, a rostered player has to be removed. Of course, those decisions can be difficult. That is where this fantasy baseball waiver drops will remove any and all worries.

First a word of caution. These drop recommendations are meant for leagues of 12 teams or fewer. Managers in larger leagues don’t have nearly as many options on the wire and careful consideration should be given before dropping players. Secondly, all of the listed players are healthy. They just aren’t producing as expected. With all of that out of the way, let’s proceed.

Brandon Drury, 1B/2B/3B/DH, Los Angeles Angels, 32.3% Owned

So far this season, there are two games that managers were happy they owned Brandon Drury in fantasy. In all other games, however, those same managers didn’t have any smiles when reviewing Drury’s play. In the two mentioned games, Drury was five for nine.

Of course, any manager would take that production. In every other direction, though, there is nothing but gloom and doom for those that have Drury on the roster. In his last eight games not mentioned above, Drury is just two for 28. So far in 2023, he is hitting a near invisible .189 with a homer, three RBIs and three runs scored. That lack of production has seen Drury post a grand total of eight fantasy points.

Truly, if Drury were swinging the bat well, his multi position eligibility would be a real asset to any manager. However, if the bat is dry, it doesn’t matter where he is placed in the lineup. Until such time as Drury is playing well, then, and only then, can he be trusted on a fantasy roster.

Javier Baez, SS, Detroit Tigers, 21% Owned

Even when Javier Baez gets a hit, he slides off the rails. In yesterday’s game, in Baez’ first at-bat, he hit a double. While on second base, he forgot the number of outs and ran on a fly ball. He was doubled up and later removed from the game because of the mistake. Such is the misery that fantasy managers face who have Baez on their roster.

It was nice that he got a hit, as he has only five all season. None of those hits have left the yard and he has only one RBI. At one time, the shortstop position was thin in fantasy. That is no longer the case and surely, there are better options on the wire. There simply is no reason to keep Baez and his .122 batting average around. Find that player and send Baez to the outhouse.

Miles Mikolas, SP, St. Louis Cardinals, 37.7% Owned

For sure, fantasy managers have been waiting for Miles Mikolas to grab his share of baseball glory. He looked to be prepared to take the next step after fashioning a 3.29 ERA and winning 12 games. However, after three disastrous starts to begin the season, it can be safely concluded that glory is far from Mikolas’ grasp. In his first 14.1 innings, Mikolas has allowed 16 earned runs. Equally disturbing is his 2.23 WHIP.

Certainly, Mikolas can get a little slack for his last start, as it was in Colorado. Even so, he gave up 10 earned runs in his first two starts, and both were at home. Simply stated, in 12 or smaller leagues, there has to be a better option on the waiver wire than Mikolas. Managers are strongly encouraged to go out and find one. It won’t be mission impossible.

Jurickson Profar, OF, Colorado Rockies, 14.9% Owned

To be truthful, we could discuss several Colorado Rockies players here, but we will start with Jurickson Profar, the newest of the bunch. On the surface, there seems to be no reason to justify dropping Profar right now. However, the only justification that is needed is that he and his Rockies teammates are hitting the road this weekend after a seven-game homestand.

There is cause for concern regarding Profar and road games, as he is a career .232 hitter away from home. Against lefties on the road, it gets even worse: .224. Granted, it is a small sample size, but in 11 road at bats this season, Profar has just one hit with two strikeouts.

If a manager is so inclined, go ahead and pick Profar back up when Colorado returns home. For the time being, though, he needs to hit the waiver wire.

Anthony Rendon, 3B, Los Angeles Angels, 42.9% Owned

Honestly, anyone that still has Anthony Rendon on their roster, it would be great to hear the reasoning behind that decision. He has been injury prone since signing with the Angels and hasn’t hit well when he was on the field. To top it all off, Rendon was suspended and fined for an altercation with a fan as the season began.

So far in 2023, Rendon has hits in just two games, with no extra base hits. Further, he has five RBIs and two runs scored, which has given him a total of 12 fantasy points. It is a well-known fact that third base is a shallow position this season. Even as that is the case, there are players on the waiver wire that have more upside and a better health history than Rendon.

Undoubtedly, Rendon will cause headaches for whomever owns him as the season goes along. The highest recommendation that can be made on this fantasy baseball waiver drops edition is to save the migraines and send Rendon to the showers sooner rather than later.

Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees, 46.3% Owned

Just before the season began, one of the more exciting announcements in baseball was that rookie Anthony Volpe had made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last long. Simply stated, managers need to find a replacement for Volpe until such time as he does actually hit. Even with hits in his last two games, the immediate outlook isn’t good.

On the season, Volpe has three stolen bases and that is the only positive one can find when looking at his numbers. He is hitting just .158 and has no RBIs and three runs scored. Further, in his last seven games, Volpe has ten strikeouts and doesn’t have a single fantasy point. He has only six on the season.

Perhaps the spotlight is a bit too bright in New York for him at the moment. If he continues to struggle, don’t be surprised if the Yankees send him back to the minors. In any case, as mentioned with Baez, the shortstop position is simply too deep to keep someone like Volpe on a roster when he isn’t producing. It is time to move on.

Cal Quantrill, SP, Cleveland Guardians, 19.5% Owned

To be clear, including Cal Quantrill on this fantasy baseball waiver drops edition is a look into the not-too-distant future. Quantrill faces the Nationals this weekend, if he doesn’t pitch any better than he has to start the year, he needs to hit the waiver desert as much as anyone on this list.

Going into that start, Quantrill hasn’t gone any further than the fifth inning in his first two outings, both against the Mariners. In those starts, he has given up seven earned runs on 15 hits for a 6.52 ERA. Even worse, he only has six strikeouts across 9.2 innings.

Many in fantasy circles were expecting big things from Quantrill after he won 15 games last season with a 3.38 ERA. Thus far, even while early, he just hasn’t looked like the same pitcher in 2023. As mentioned at the top, if he can’t perform better against the Nationals, it is time to move on and find a better option.

Brendan Donovan, 2B/3B/OF, St. Louis Cardinals, 58.4% Owned

No doubt about it, Brendan Donovan blew the doors off the place in the first series with Toronto. That was especially true on Opening Day, as he hit a home run, drove in two and scored three runs. Many a manager ran to the wire and picked him up. That was clearly a smart move at the time.

How quickly times can change. Here we sit two weeks into the season and Donovan has turned ice cold. Not even a trip to the hitting mecca of Denver could heat him back up. After three games in the higher altitude, Donovan was just two for 12 with no RBIs and four strikeouts.

Entering the weekend, Donovan has 24 fantasy points, but only five of them have come in the last seven days. In that time, he has just a .200 batting average. Maybe some home cooking and the Pirates can remedy his swing. If it doesn’t and this downward trend continues, managers need to seriously consider sending Donovan to the waiver jungle. Not even his ability to play so many positions can save him.

Donovan has hits in his last two games, but also five strikeouts in his last three. He needs to look much better at the plate by the end of the weekend. If he is still stuck in the desert, he may well be a mirage and a manager will need to find where the real water is.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball waiver drops edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news! The Sports Stove Fantasy Baseball Show will have a live fantasy draft this coming Sunday night at 8 eastern. Make sure to tune in!