Struggling Star – What to Do With These Struggling Stalwarts

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  • By Nathan Baker

    Last Updated on May 23, 2025 8:02 am by Anthony Kates | Published: May 23, 2025

    As much as I enjoy the in-depth breakdowns of players in the headlines, a deviation in the usual format is in store for this week, with the super two deadline (likely) approaching, forcing the head of fantasy owners to make some moves. While it’s impossible for me to go inside the minds of general managers to determine who is waiting in the wings for a call up, I can dissect some struggling mainstays to determine whether they should keep their places in favor of imminent call ups, or if you’d be better off trading them elsewhere to free up room for a prospect.

    That’s exactly what I’ll be doing here, with advice on five struggling players; none droppable, but some worth riding it out with, and some to deal and open up that roster spot.

    Bryan Reynolds – OF – PIT
    It’s quite difficult for anyone to get into a groove in the Pirates lineup right now, but Bryan Reynolds’ performance has been far from in a groove. He’s hitting just .210 with a .618 OPS, owning a 5% increase in his already below average strike out rate from last season. He’s only 30, so the age shouldn’t be influencing this level of decline just yet, but it’s understandable to be concerned given the bad situation in Pittsburgh and the depth of his struggles.

    Despite the increase in strikeouts, Reynolds has been wildly unlucky with the balls he’s put in play so far, owning a .260 xBA and .497 xSLG, compared to his current slugging percentage of just .338. His general whiff and walk rates are similar to those from last season, and while I think some of his struggles could be due to the lack of support around him, most of this season can be chalked up to bad luck. I wouldn’t trade him for anything less than slightly below his pre-draft value.

    Anthony Santander – OF – TOR
    Some level of regression was always going to happen after Santander signed his $92 million free agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays this winter, coming off of a season where he hit a career high 44 home runs in Baltimore. He outperformed most of his composite peripherals last season, but more concerningly for the long-term, he continued to chase at a rate well over 30%. Still, a power bat in a lineup that desperately needed it was welcome, but his season thus far has been anything but.

    Santander has just nine extra base hits this season, holding a .593 OPS. His barrel rate has halved, his strikeouts are way up, and he’s not swinging as hard as he was last year. His ground ball percentage has doubled, and the quality of contact differences are night and day. With a hip injury potentially causing him to miss some time, I’d be happy to cut bait here with any solid trade valuation, especially with the prospect of Santander missing significant time.

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    May 23, 2025, 8:02 am

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