Casey Schmitt injury may have just cemented SF Giants' trade deadline plans

SF Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt left Monday night's game with an apparent left knee injury. He rounded first base on a bloop hit into shallow right field in the second inning and as he slowed himself down he seemed to injure himself.

We have not yet received any word on what the knee is and we will probably learn a lot more once an MRI is conducted, but with how gingerly he walked off the field and how cautious he was being in the dugout it certainly would not come as a shock if he goes on the IL.

That would be supremely ironic since Schmitt's trade value just shot up after Cincinnati Reds utility man Spencer Steer just went on the IL. Steer was seen as one of the premier right-handed bats on the trade market but with him now unlikely to be traded, Schmitt seemed like a guy teams in need of a right-handed bat would turn to and try to acquire.

After his injury, that could mean outfielder Heliot Ramos' value really increases as he is another right-handed bat who the Giants are reportedly willing to trade. Teams like the Philadelphia Phillies or New York Yankees would make a ton of sense as destinations for Ramos since they both could use an upgrade in the outfield.

The Giants probably weren't going to trade Schmitt unless they were blown away by an offer. The most likely outcome was for the team to trade second baseman Luis Arraez and then move Schmitt to second after that so he had a permanent home especially since Matt Chapman is set to return from the IL soon.

That likely means Ramos will be dealt because with each injury to a right-handed hitter that is only going to increase his demand which could increase the return San Francisco gets.

Schmitt's injury could sully what has been a great individual season

Obviously, one hopes this does not end up being a major, season-ending injury for Schmitt. He's in the midst of a breakout season and came into Monday's game hitting .269/.299/.482 with 21 home runs and 55 runs batted in.

He's proven that he can and should be an everyday presence in the lineup even though there have been concerns about his low walk rate. He has also shown that he can play pretty much everywhere on the diamond as he was willing to play in left field so the team could keep his hot bat in the lineup.

It's been a bad season for San Francisco but Schmitt has been one of the few bright spots. One hopes his injury is not major, but if it is significant enough for him to go on the IL that likely guarantees he will not be traded and might just ensure that Ramos will be traded.

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