Another trade deadline domino has fallen, and this one leaves the Guardians with even less room to maneuver.
Giants infielder Casey Schmitt suffered a knee injury last night against the Brewers, and the setback puts the rest of his season in jeopardy. For Cleveland, that’s a major problem because Schmitt had been one of the cleaner fits on the board as Monday’s trade deadline approaches.
The injury happened in the second inning when Schmitt came up lame after taking a hard turn around first base. After the game, manager Tony Vitello said that Schmitt is going “ to miss some significant time ” - a crushing blow for the Giants and for a trade market that had been building around him.
Schmitt wasn’t a guaranteed trade candidate, especially with plenty of team control still ahead of him. But he had the kind of profile that could have tempted the Guardians into making a serious push.
He bats right-handed, brings real power with 21 home runs, and can move around the diamond. That kind of versatility fits what Stephen Vogt likes, and the pop would have been useful in a Cleveland lineup that could use it.
There’s still a sliver of a path here. The injury doesn’t necessarily remove Schmitt from the market entirely, but it likely lowers what the Giants could ask for because he wouldn’t be able to help right away. Teams do trade for injured players at the deadline, though that usually happens with rentals, not players who still have years of control before arbitration.
Even with Schmitt likely fading as an option, the Giants still have names that could matter to Cleveland.
Jung Hoo Lee would make sense in center field for the Guardians, but he’s making too much money and MLB insider Bob Nightengale recently reported that San Francisco isn’t planning to move him.
Another name worth watching is Heliot Ramos, whom Nightengale said the Giants are listening to offers on. Ramos is in the middle of his another season with an OPS+ above 100 and an OPS above .750.
He doesn’t fit the exact mold the Guardians usually chase - he’s a poor defender and doesn’t draw many walks - but the bat has plenty of juice. He ranks in the 93rd percentile in barrel rate and the 89th percentile in hard-hit rate.
That leaves Cleveland still hunting for answers, and still trying to line up the kind of deal that can change the shape of its deadline. One possible piece in those talks could be pitching prospect Justin Campebll, whom The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee highlighted as a player the Giants could covet.
So while Schmitt’s injury likely takes one appealing target off the board, it doesn’t end the Guardians’ pursuit of help from San Francisco. It just makes the next five days even more important for Chris Antonetti and company.
In Other News...
Guardians May Have A Real Answer To Their First Base Problem
Clevelands first-base search has been one of the quieter frustrations around an offense that has needed more certainty from that spot, and Ty France has emerged as a name worth watching. The Padres first baseman has put together a much stronger season than the Guardians got from Rhys Hoskins, with better contact quality, better overall production, and a profile that looks a lot more like the kind of steady middle-of-the-order bat Cleveland has been missing.
France is not a report of a done deal, just a possible answer if San Diego decides to listen. The fit makes sense on paper because the Guardians have been looking for more offense without sacrificing too much balance, but the real question is whether the Padres are willing to move him and what kind of return would even get them to the table. For now, it is one of those July ideas that feels more practical than flashy, which is often how Cleveland has to shop. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Finally Got The One Boost Fans Have Been Desperate For
The Guardians got a needed lift Wednesday with Jos Ramrez back in the lineup after missing time with a left hamate fracture, and the timing could not have been better. Cleveland also put together its biggest power display of the season against Minnesota, launching seven home runs in a game that featured contributions all over the order, including a pair from Rhys Hoskins as the offense finally looked like it had some depth behind its star.
For a club that has spent plenty of time searching for a spark, the bigger picture was hard to miss: the lineup looked more dangerous with Ramrez available, and the extra thunder gave the Guardians a chance to reset some momentum. There was also a more meaningful subplot around the series, as Cleveland and Minnesota teamed up for a charity effort that raised money for the Venezuelan Red Cross, a reminder that even on nights built around offense, there can be something larger happening around the game. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Got A Fascinating Verdict On The Shane Bieber Trade
When the Guardians sent Shane Bieber to Toronto last year, it looked like the kind of move that could be judged in layers for a long time. Cleveland was still able to surge back and win the AL Central, while Bieber helped the Blue Jays reach the World Series, giving both clubs immediate reasons to feel good about the swap even before the long-term evaluation comes into focus.
The early read on Clevelands side is tied to a young arm in the system, and the organization has already seen some of the ripple effects at the major league level. With Bieber no longer occupying a spot in the rotation picture, Parker Messick got his debut on Aug. 20, and the Guardians now have to keep watching how the return develops while a deeper verdict on the deal remains very much in progress. [Read more 🡒]