By now most of you have hopefully come to the realization that a few of your guys are not going to dig themselves out of the metaphorical hole they’ve put themselves in; and yet, you keep one starting them anyway. Hopefully this article will clue you in on a few guys who you should take out back and give them the “Old Yeller” treatment.

Wade Miley Arizona Diamondbacks SP

Miley has been rather disastrous in his last three starts, going 0-3 and allowing 15 earned runs in that stretch. On a mathematical scale his ERA went from 2.93 to 4.53 in a week-and-a-half. While one could say that these are merely a freak occurrence, the reality is that his last two games came against the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres, two of the worst-hitting teams in the Majors. You can definitely do better with anyone else, if not leaving your starting slot blank.

Dustin Ackley Seattle Mariners 1B/2B

The Mariners and their fans have been patiently awaiting Ackley to be the budding superstar like they had originally projected. The bad news, it’s not going to happen. Even though Ackley is a very disciplined hitter (low strikeout numbers), he’s still not able to turn the ball where the defense isn’t. He is currently in a 0-19 slump which has brought his all ready abysmal average down to .205.

David Freese St. Louis Cardinals 3B

There’s an expression that Freese fans need to get used to and that’s, “what have you done for me lately?” Too many owners are riding high on what Freese was able to accomplish in the 2011 World Series that they’re allowing his mediocre offensive numbers bring down the team’s collective output. Freese is currently hitting .241 with two home runs and only 13 RBI. Even though he’s starting to heat up a little bit, it’s really nothing to give a second glance to.

Desmond Jennings Tampa Bay Rays OF

Jennings was the main reason why the Tampa Bay Rays opted not to re-sign B.J. Upton, and while the Rays scored big on that front Jennings still hasn’t quite blossomed into the player they thought he’d be. Jennings has a few moments of brilliance on the field; however, his batting average is dropping to the tune on 10 points every week-and-a-half. Jennings is great on the base paths and is reliable to swipe a bag or two; the only problem is that he needs to get on base before making the magic happen. There are plenty of other more reliable replacements on the market.

Pedro Alvarez Pittsburgh Pirates 3B

If there’s one thing that Pedro Alvarez is great at with his bat, it’s hitting home runs. Outside of that, he isn’t much use offensively. Alvarez is one at-bat away from dropping below the Mendoza line (.200), but he’s not the kind of guy the Pittsburgh Pirates will replace in the lineup due to the fact that he has a rather stellar glove. Unfortunately for your sake, defensive numbers don’t count. Rather than take the Pirates mentality to the situation, get yourself someone who will actually contribute to your team.