Casey Schmitt has been recovering from minor surgery, but with the recent addition of Luis Arraez to the San Francisco Giants roster, his future in the infield could get a bit complicated, though Susan Slusser’s analysis suggests it shouldn’t be all that bad.
“Because third is his best spot, Schmitt has been a trade target for clubs with a need at third two winters in a row. Now with Arraez in the fold, San Francisco might consider moving Schmitt to fill a need. The Giants could use a closer, for instance, and never would say no to a good young starter. Backup catcher is also an area to possibly add,” Slusser wrote.
As other analysts have noted, it’s highly likely Schmitt will take on a utility role across the infield. “The Giants have wanted to move Casey Schmitt to a utility role … he can back up all four infield spots and figures to replace Arraez in the late innings of a lot of close games,” Alex Pavlovic reported on X.
Letting Schmitt go because of Arraez
That’s part of what Slugger pointed out in his article for the San Francisco Chronicle, though it doesn’t necessarily have to be the final word. Some analysts are clear that, despite Schmitt having numbers similar to Arraez, there isn’t enough confidence in him as an everyday starter.
“The Giants either really liked Casey Schmitt as a utility guy or have zero confidence in him as an everyday starter. Either way, the Giants bring in one of the best contact and average bats in the league in Luis Arraez,” wrote Michael Monreal of Just Baseball on X (@ByMMonreal).
Other analyses suggest adding Arraez, who hit .292 last season, wasn’t entirely necessary, and that Schmitt or others could have handled the role better in the Giants’ infield.
“Luis Arraez is an underwhelming addition — would’ve almost rather seen the Giants roll Casey Schmitt or Tyler Fitzgerald out there. But to each their own,” Steven Rissotto of 9.57 FM The Game shared on X.