San Francisco Giants Could Now Be 'Compelled' To Shop Casey Schmitt
It felt like the San Francisco Giants were going to be active in the free agency market by searching for a high-profile signing despite differing reports stating the ownership group might not be willing to spend money.
They put that to bed when they signed Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal that will make him their shortstop of the future.
For a team that was once a perennial contender, making the playoffs just one time in the last eight seasons is unacceptable, so being able to bring in someone like Adames after coming up short for star free agents in the past is huge.
The Giants already announced that their breakout rookie Tyler Fitzgerald would be moving over to second base, so the infield is largely set with him playing there, Adames at short, Matt Chapman at third base and a platoon of LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores at first.
Because of that, some of the other infielders could find themselves being floated as possible trade chips.
Nick San Miguel of Around the Foghorn thinks Casey Schmitt could be a player who becomes featured in conversations going forward.
"But, if Fitzgerald is solid next season and there are no major injuries in the infield, the Giants may feel compelled to shop someone like Schmitt who could be attractive to teams with his strong arm and offensive potential," he writes.
The 2020 second-round pick finished this past season red-hot, slashing .412/.459/.676 with two homers and eight RBI across his final 15 games and 34 at-bats.
Flipping him right now could allow San Francisco to get back their greatest return.
Peaking as their fourth overall prospect at one point, he had two impressive seasons in the minors before he made his Major League debut in 2023. His offense hasn't translated to the MLB like the Giants had hoped, but his strong close to the year could make other teams around the league interested.
San Francisco won't just give any of their infielders away, though.
They still would like to have depth, especially because it's not a given that Fitzgerald will be able to build upon what he did last season since he struggled a bit to close the year.
In addition to Schmitt, David Villar and Brett Wisely are also in the mix.
Any of these three could be on the move, but the greatest return the Giants would likely get is if they dealt Schmitt.
This will be something to keep an eye on throughout the rest of the offseason.