Latest rumors put young SF Giants infielder firmly on the hot seat

The SF Giants do not have many spots in the lineup where they can make a meaningful upgrade, but second base is one of them. The latest rumors suggest young Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt may be on the hot seat.

Schmitt had a solid 2025 season in which he took hold of starting duties at second base after Tyler Fitzgerald struggled after a breakout campaign in 2024. By the end of the season, Schmitt was slashing .237/.305/.401 with 12 home runs and 40 runs batted in.

SF Giants 2B Casey Schmitt may be on the hot seat

The San Diego State product showed a lot of promise and there were times throughout the season when he was the hottest hitter on the team. He was able to cut down on his strikeouts and chase rate, but it still remains an open question as to whether he can be a consistent producer.

His defense is usually very solid as he is just a naturally gifted fielder. He has a great pair of hands and a cannon for an arm which is why he can easily play shortstop or third base if needed and he also showed he can handle first base quite well.

It is that very reason why the Giants may be more comfortable having him as a utility piece rather than an everyday starter at second. However, with Matt Chapman and Willy Adames on the left side of the infield and Rafael Devers at first base, there may not be that many opportunities for Schmitt in a utility role.

The fact that the Giants were recently linked to Brendan Donovan suggests the team is exploring an upgrade at second base which could make Schmittt expendable. The Giants already have Christian Koss who is a solid infield depth piece who can play at second, third, and shortstop so if they were to swing a trade for a second baseman or maybe sign one in free agency that would make Schmitt a likely trade candidate.

The Giants might even include Schmitt in a trade for someone like Donovan or Brandon Lowe since he has such promise. Teams in a state of limbo like the Cardinals and Rays would probably like to take a chance on Schmitt to see if he could be part of the team's future core.

There is also Schmitt's wrist injury which he recently had surgery to address. He is expected to be ready for the regular season but there is a chance he could miss some time and that it could impact him at the plate.

Pitching is clearly a larger need for the Giants so second base is not the highest priority, but still the fact that the Giants appear to be active on the second base market suggests Schmitt may be on the hot seat.