The Casey Schmitt injury has given the SF Giants something they did not have before: a little more flexibility, and maybe a reason to rethink Luis Arraez.
For months, the assumption has been that Arraez would be moved. That still feels like the most likely path, especially with the August 3 trade deadline looming. But Schmitt’s knee injury changes the picture enough that San Francisco may want to leave more doors open than it did a week ago.
Schmitt is expected to miss the rest of the season after tearing his meniscus. That is obviously a tough blow, but it could have been worse; a torn ACL or another ligament injury would have carried a much harsher outlook. The current expectation is that he should be ready by the start of 2027.
It’s also the second straight year Schmitt has been sidelined for a significant stretch. Last season, a wrist injury ended with offseason surgery to fully repair it. Now it’s the knee, and that makes the Giants’ long-term plan at second base a little less settled than it looked before.
Schmitt still seems like a real candidate to handle the position in 2027 and beyond, but there are questions in his game, including a low walk rate. The Giants may not want to move him immediately after this injury, but they could decide in the offseason that the best use of his value is to trade him for pitching. If that happens, the second-base job opens right back up.
That is where Arraez comes back into the conversation.
San Francisco Chronicle reporter Susan Slusser floated a scenario in which the Giants keep Arraez and extend a qualifying offer after the season. If Arraez turned that down and signed elsewhere, the Giants would still get draft compensation.
There’s no guarantee the return in a trade would be especially strong. Arraez is a rental, and not every team is sold on his skill set, particularly because he does not bring power. Still, his defense has changed the conversation enough that clubs know they’re getting more than just an elite contact hitter.
The Giants could also explore an extension if they want Arraez to stick around for a few years. Or they could trade him now and then try to bring him back in the offseason while moving Schmitt later.
Cost matters here too. Schmitt is the cheaper option; he will be arbitration-eligible and should land in the $5 million range. Arraez, by comparison, would be looking at roughly $22 million if he accepted a qualifying offer.
So while a deal for Arraez still looks like the most likely outcome, Schmitt’s injury has widened the range of possibilities. The Giants now have more than one way to play this.
In Other News...
Giants May Be Headed For Their Weirdest Second Base Experiment Yet
With the Giants out of playoff contention, the rest of the season has become less about chasing wins and more about sorting through whatever roster puzzle is left on the table. That is why the second base situation has turned so strange so quickly, with Luis Arraez likely to be moved soon and Casey Schmitt expected to miss the rest of the year, leaving the club to improvise in a spot that suddenly has no clean answer.
Rafael Devers taking grounders at second base before a recent game only added to the sense that San Francisco is willing to test just about anything to get through the final stretch. It is still unclear whether that work will turn into actual game action, but the Giants have already shown a willingness to lean into unconventional ideas when the season has gone sideways, and this one could be the latest example. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Need To See This Luis Arraez Trade Return
A trade idea making the rounds would send Luis Arraez out of San Francisco and into a lineup that badly needs a jolt before Mondays deadline. For the Giants, it is the kind of speculative move that forces a hard look at value versus fit, because Arraez still brings a very specific offensive profile and has made it clear he wants to stay at second base.
The appeal for the other side is obvious: a contending club looking to improve its contact and on-base presence could view Arraez as a clean fit in the infield. For San Francisco, the real question is whether the return in a deal like this would justify moving on from a hitter whose game is built around consistency, even if the market and the clock are pushing teams toward action. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Haase Found His Next Chance As Giants Catcher Questions Linger
Eric Haases time with the Giants never really got off the ground, and his brief run behind the plate ended with San Francisco moving on after a difficult stretch at the plate. In limited action this season, he produced a .162/.235/.365 line before being designated for assignment, leaving the club to sort through a catching situation that has become more about development than certainty.
The Giants are now leaning on a trio of rookies in Drew Cavanaugh, Daniel Susac and Jess Rodrguez, a reminder that the position remains unsettled as the season moves along. Haase, meanwhile, has found another opportunity elsewhere, while the White Sox continue to search for more from their own catchers even as they sit atop the AL Central. [Read more 🡒]