The San Francisco Giants need to prioritize getting younger, so why would trading Casey Schmitt make sense?

According to Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter, Schmitt doesn't have a "clear defensive home," which could put him on the chopping block.

Remember, this is a guy who's arbitration eligible through 2029, so trading him now would mean they're giving all of that up for what should be a massive haul in return.

That said, Schmitt isn't at the level of a superstar yet to command such a big return, so where exactly does his trade value fall in the offseason?

Only time will tell, but moving on from Schmitt would be a bold move for a team that finished just three losses shy of triple-digits in 2026.

Schmitt, 27, isn't exactly the youngest player in the world, but he's far better off than some of the other players out there.

The right-handed hitter finished the '26 season with a .271 batting average and .784 OPS.

He finished two games under 100 on the year, though his 387 at-bats were a career high. For reference, he played in 95 games in 2025 and only had 312 at-bats.

Schmitt is fresh off a 1.5 WAR season which is the best of his four-year career. When combining his WAR in the first three seasons, that number only comes out to 0.3, so it's clear just how much he improved this year alone.

Sure, Schmitt may not be what this team envisions as the everyday second baseman, but they can cross that bridge when they get there.

Bryce Eldridge complexed things, to say the least, but that doesn't mean they need to trade Schmitt.

Between Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames, Schmitt could join a rock-solid infield that sees Eldridge be the everyday designated hitter if the team chooses to go in that direction.

Reuter knows that the Giants are looking for starting pitchers, and he believes Schmitt could be a key piece in making that become a reality.

The question is, are they ready to give up a player who's not going to cost much at all through 2029 for what could be a rental?

The obvious answer feels like no, but at this point, president of baseball operations Buster Posey is up for anything.

Keep in mind, Schmitt put forward a -4 defensive runs saved metric to go alongside a -3 outs above average, so those numbers are dreadful, to say the least.