It might be obvious, but making the right moves at the right time is a vital component of success in fantasy baseball. In dynasty formats, it’s perhaps even more important. Regardless of league settings, the goal should always be to maximize the return on any player.
The following list of nine players — one per position (including three outfielders) on the diamond — is made up of names fantasy managers should seriously consider packaging in trade offers, or simply cutting for a wire waiver replacement, ahead of the 2026 season.
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Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Players to Sell
Will Smith (C – LAD)
Will Smith finished 2025 with a career-best .296 batting average along with a .901 OPS across 110 games, ripping 17 homers and driving in 61 runs. Still, he displayed some definite warning signs in the second half, batting just .190 while striking out more than 25% of the time over his last 25 regular-season games.
A fractured hand cost him the final few weeks of September, but he did return for a productive playoff run. Another factor in Smith’s fantasy outlook is that it seems likely the Dodgers will give youngster Dalton Rushing more opportunities in 2026.
Smith is entering his age-31 season with a bat that has significantly faded in the second half of each of the last three years. However, there is still enough cred behind the three-time All-Star’s name to net a nice return. Lining up in a loaded offense that has won back-to-back World Series titles, Smith will remain a popular option at arguably the shallowest position on the board.
Spencer Steer (1B – CIN)
Three full seasons into his career, Spencer Steer’s rookie campaign remains his best. After batting a solid .271 with an .820 OPS across 156 games in 2023, the now 28-year-old has not come close to those marks in either of the last two seasons. Steer has turned in remarkably similar, mediocre slash lines of .225/.319/.402 and .238/.312/.411, respectively.
Steer eased any concerns of fantasy managers in 2024, as he delivered 92 RBI and 25 steals despite subpar ratios. However, it was not the same story last year, as he finished with 75 RBI and only seven steals. At first base, there are simply plenty of superior options.
Marcus Semien (2B – NYM)
Since finishing third in American League MVP voting in 2023, Marcus Semien has experienced a drastic offensive drop-off. The two-time Silver Slugger has finished each of the last two campaigns with a sub-.700 OPS and sub-.240 batting average.
The Rangers dealt the 35-year-old to the Mets earlier this offseason, where he will have to acclimate to a new city and league after four years in Arlington. Semien remains among the best defensive players at the keystone, but his best days at the plate are in the rearview mirror.
Eugenio Suarez (3B – FA)
Due to bashing home runs at a blistering pace, Eugenio Suarez became one of the hot commodities ahead of last summer’s trade deadline. After posting a .897 OPS with 36 deep drives through 106 games with the Diamondbacks, Suarez was shipped to Seattle on July 31st.
The homers kept coming, as the veteran slugger hit 13 more over 53 regular-season games for the Mariners. However, in the process, Suarez turned in a miserable .189 batting average while his strikeout rate soared to 35.9%. That is the main reason the 34-year-old remains a free agent at the time of writing.
J.P. Crawford (SS – SEA)
J.P. Crawford enjoyed a career-best season with the bat in 2023, posting an .818 OPS with 19 homers and 94 runs scored. It seemed he might become a solid fantasy shortstop atop the Mariners’ batting order for at least a few years.
That has not come to fruition, as the 31-year-old has offered nothing more than middling offensive production during the last two seasons. Crawford is entering the final season of his contract and is set to remain a glove-first veteran hitting near the bottom of the lineup.
Jose Altuve (OF – HOU)
OK. Jose Altuve did hit 26 homers last season, which was his highest total since 2022. He also recorded a 30-point drop in batting average from 2024 to 2025, along with a four-year low in stolen bases.
Altuve’s line-drive rate and average exit velocity trended in the wrong direction last season and are not likely to recover at this point in his career. Those two categories once made Altuve an elite fantasy producer. The nine-time All-Star will turn 36 in early May, so it’s time to see what he can net in a trade scenario.
Nick Castellanos (OF – PHI)
Nick Castellanos continued to be a durable, veteran presence in the Phillies’ lineup in 2025, but after averaging 26 homers and 96 RBI with a .454 slugging rate over the previous two seasons, his output diminished greatly last year. Over 589 plate appearances this past season, Castellanos produced a mere .250/.294/.400 slash line with only 17 longballs and 72 RBI.
Castellanos will turn 34 during spring training and is entering the final season of his five-year contract with the Phillies. Considering that Kyle Schwarber was brought back for a hefty sum and Adolis Garcia was added to the mix this offseason, Castellanos may be in line for a significant decrease in at-bats.
Prized outifled prospect Justin Crawford is knocking on the door, too, and they typically solid Brandon Marsh remains as well.
Jung Hoo Lee (OF – SF)
The Giants shelled out quite a bit of money to bring Jung Hoo Lee stateside before the 2024 season. Unfortunately, the former Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) superstar suffered a serious shoulder injury in May of his first MLB season, limiting him to just 158 plate appearances over 37 games.
Lee’s first full MLB campaign was in 2025. The 27-year-old showed that he can at least be a solid contributor for the Giants. However, any idea of him eventually becoming a fantasy star took a big hit last season. Across 150 games, Lee posted a .735 OPS with eight homers, 10 steals and 73 runs scored.
The 31 doubles and 12 triples were encouraging, but a 32% hard-hit rate and sub-20% line-drive rate were not. If Lee does not find his way to the top of the Giants’ batting order and start running much more frequently, his upside will remain severely limited.
Sonny Gray (SP – BOS)
Sonny Gray was the centerpiece of a newsworthy trade back in late-November, sending the veteran righty from St. Louis to Boston. That move by itself could be problematic. Gray will transition from working his home games in one of the league’s most friendly pitching environments to one of its toughest.
Gray finished this past season with an ERA north of 4.00 for the first time since 2021. The three-time All-Star posted a 3.90 mark across 20 starts in St. Louis compared to a 4.92 ERA on the road. He did rack up 201 strikeouts over 180.2 innings, but it’s concerning that his fastball velocity came in at a career low and his barrel rate came in at a career high.
Gray will likely be a solid, mid-rotation innings eater for the Red Sox. At age 36, his days of being a fantasy stud are likely behind him.
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