Fantasy Baseball Cut List: Top 5 Star Drops to Make for Week 25

For every fantasy owner, there comes a point in the season when a should-be stud just isn't cutting it—so it's time to cut him. That's what this is all about: letting you know it's OK to let go.

Difficult late-season drops can come in all shapes and sizes, from that third-rounder not living up to expectations to the injury-prone star who just can't get and stay healthy to a midseason pickup who broke out then flamed out.

We get it: Once you've invested in a player and become attached, it's not so simple to say so long. But sometimes it's for the best. After all, the stakes only get higher and the standings more solidified the longer you wait for a turnaround or rebound that might never come.

With owners everywhere making a push for the playoffs—and a shot to win it all—numbers become more important than names. Even the big ones.

What follows is a batch of players who remain rostered in many leagues, largely because they either were selected as early draft picks or looked like surefire starters at one time only to have since become cut candidates for one reason or another.

But don't worry: Each player comes complete with suggestions for readily available replacement options. Because as science says, for every drop, there should be an equal and opposite addition.

Glen Perkins, RP, Minnesota Twins (85.8 Percent Owned)

Jim Mone/Associated Press

2014 Fantasy Statistics: 4 W, 3.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 66 K, 34 SV (61.2 IP)

Here's La Velle E. Neal of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Glen Perkins' current situation:

"

Twins closer Glen Perkins will have a magnetic resonance imaging exam on his left arm on Thursday after he reported some soreness following his outing on Tuesday.

According to Twins General Manager Terry Ryan, Perkins will have his forearm, elbow and biceps checked out to make sure everything is structurally sound.

'He’s got a little soreness, so we’ll get it looked at,' Ryan said.

Is it time for Twins fans to worry about their All-Star closer?

"

Fantasy owners already were worried about Perkins, as the 31-year-old had allowed 10 runs on 12 hits—including five homers—in 6.1 innings over his past eight outings. Given that, don't be surprised if the Twins shut Perkins down, even if he's deemed A-OK after the MRI.

At this point, the best-case scenario for Perkins—he's healthy enough to pitch and gets three or four more saves down the stretch—just isn't worth it. Same goes for Jonathan Papelbon, the Philadelphia Phillies closer, who will be out until Tuesday, Sept. 23, after being suspended for making a lewd gesture toward the home fans in Philly while blowing a save over the weekend, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

Put that roster spot to better use, people.

Replacement Options: Ken Giles, RP, Philadelphia Phillies (17.8 Percent Owned); Edward Mujica, RP, Boston Red Sox (42.5 Percent Owned); Joe Smith, RP, Los Angeles Angels (37.9 Percent Owned); Tommy Hunter, RP, Baltimore Orioles (27.8 Percent Owned); Andrew Miller, RP, Baltimore Orioles (13.0 Percent Owned)

Josh Hamilton, OF, Los Angeles Angels (72.0 Percent Owned)

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

2014 Fantasy Statistics: .263 BA, 43 R, 10 HR, 44 RBI, 3 SB (381 PA)

Outside of his explosive first week of 2014, Josh Hamilton hasn't been any good this season—and he hasn't been all that healthy, either.

The injury-prone 33-year-old just missed 11 consecutive games with a right shoulder problem, and he indicated Thursday that he's now dealing with soreness in his right rib cage, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

Now that they've clinched the AL West crown, the Los Angeles Angels have no incentive to play Hamilton much over the final week. Neither do fantasy owners. What you're not using, you should be cutting.

Replacement Options: A.J. Pollock, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (42.3 Percent Owned); Avisail Garcia, OF, Chicago White Sox (12.7 Percent Owned); Chris Young, OF, New York Yankees (29.8 Percent Owned); Norichika Aoki, OF, Kansas City Royals (32.2 Percent Owned)

Marlon Byrd, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (89.2 Percent Owned)

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

2014 Fantasy Statistics: .264 BA, 70 R, 25 HR, 79 RBI, 3 SB (600 PA)

For the first five months, Marlon Byrd was once again a pleasant surprise in fantasy, thanks primarily to his power. To wit, he hit .275 with 25 home runs and knocked in 78 RBI heading into September.

But since? Byrd is hitting just .190 with no homers and one RBI in 12 games this month.

Maybe that has to do with a 37-year-old being fatigued. Maybe it has to do with getting less regular playing time while the Philadelphia Phillies give the likes of Grady Sizemore and Darin Ruf more time.

Whatever the case, don't go counting on much from Byrd the rest of the way, especially if there are younger, fresher options available.

Replacement Options: A.J. Pollock, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (42.3 Percent Owned); Avisail Garcia, OF, Chicago White Sox (12.7 Percent Owned); Chris Young, OF, New York Yankees (29.8 Percent Owned); Norichika Aoki, OF, Kansas City Royals (32.2 Percent Owned)

Yadier Molina, C, St. Louis Cardinals (94.8 Percent Owned)

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

2014 Fantasy Statistics: .281 BA, 36 R, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 1 SB (409 PA)

Yadier Molina was nowhere near his usual production in the first half of the season, making him a fantasy disappointment even before he went on the disabled list in mid-July.

But even since coming back from surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament, the 32-year-old backstop has barely added to his totals at all. In 18 games, Molina is batting just .254 with six runs, six RBI and no home runs.

In what has been a really rough fantasy year for highly regarded catchers as a whole—in addition to Molina, each of Joe Mauer, Carlos Santana, Brian McCann, Wilin Rosario and Matt Wieters either started slowly and/or got hurt—there are still some alternatives out there who can provide more than Molina has.

Replacement Options: Travis d'Arnaud, C, New York Mets (15.6 Percent Owned); Dioner Navarro, C, Toronto Blue Jays (47.1 Percent Owned); Wilin Rosario, C, Colorado Rockies (38.2 Percent Owned)

Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds (100.0 Percent Owned)

Morry Gash/Associated Press

2014 Fantasy Statistics: .256 BA, 72 R, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 56 SB (592 PA)

If you're a Billy Hamilton owner, this is going to be tough, but you need to see this:

.211 batting average, 25 runs scored, one home run, 10 RBI and 18 stolen bases

In case you haven't figured it out yet, those represent the 24-year-old's statistics in the second half this season.

Seriously, unless you're absolutely desperate for the possibility of a handful of steals, just cut the cord on Hamilton. Frankly, considering that he leads the majors by a wide margin with 23 unsuccessful attempts, there's no guarantee the Cincinnati Reds center fielder will even run that much, anyway.

Replacement Options: A.J. Pollock, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (42.3 Percent Owned); Avisail Garcia, OF, Chicago White Sox (12.7 Percent Owned); Jordan Schafer, OF, Minnesota Twins (11.0 Percent Owned); Jake Marisnick, OF, Houston Astros (1.7 Percent Owned)

Statistics are accurate as of Sept. 18 and are courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11