What’s next for Schmitt after breakout season?

SAN FRANCISCO -- Not much went right for the 2026 Giants, but they can certainly feel good about the strides they saw from Casey Schmitt.

Schmitt, 27, emerged as one of San Francisco’s best players before going down with a season-ending left knee injury in late July, delivering career highs in batting average (.271), OPS (.784), home runs (21), RBIs (55) and doubles (17) over 98 games this year. He also showed he could thrive in a new super-utility role for the Giants, learning to play left field in addition to making starts at all four infield spots in 2026.

The constant defensive shuffling never seemed to faze Schmitt, who became the first Giants player in franchise history to homer at six different positions (designated hitter, first base, left field, shortstop, third base and second base) in a single season. He likely would have had a chance to reach 30 homers had he not torn the meniscus in his left knee while running the bases, which forced him to undergo surgery and ultimately cut short his breakout year.

“I was really happy with the way that I was able to show up every day and the preparation,” Schmitt said in August. “I know there were a lot of questions around me, whether I could do it at this level. I'm just happy that I was able to go out and kind of do that.”

Schmitt ended up missing the final two months of the regular season, but he was cleared to have a normal offseason at the end of September and will be eager to pick up where he left off in 2027.

“I feel like just after the years that I've been here, I’ve been able to take a step forward,” Schmitt said. “I think there's definitely more in the tank. I think I proved that a little this year.”

Schmitt should join fellow infielders Rafael Devers, Bryce Eldridge, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames as a lineup regular next year, though it’s a bit unclear where he’ll get most of his playing time for the Giants.

Schmitt won a Gold Glove Award at third base in the Minors, but he’s had to get used to moving around since he’s currently blocked from his natural position by Chapman, a five-time Gold Glove winner who’s signed through 2030.

The Giants created an opening at second base after trading Luis Arraez to the Phillies at the 2026 Trade Deadline, but they might want to give Marcelo Mayer a chance to lock down the position next year. Mayer, 23, appeared in only six games for San Francisco after being acquired from the Red Sox in exchange for Erik Miller, but he’s a former top prospect who still has the potential to develop into an impact player in the Majors.

If the Giants want to give Mayer an extended run at second, Schmitt could get most of his reps in left field and help fill the void left by Heliot Ramos, who was shipped to the Yankees in another Deadline deal this year.

Either way, Schmitt’s defensive versatility should create plenty of ways for the Giants to get his bat in the lineup, making him an invaluable piece for the club moving forward.

“I don’t think there’s anything set in stone at this point,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said when asked about Schmitt’s positional outlook during the Giants’ end-of-season press conference. “He showed that he could hold his own in left field. You look at the metrics, he grades out better at third than anywhere else. We’ve got arguably the best third baseman in the game defensively over there right now. We’ll probably look at second a little bit, but that’s going to be a decision for another day.”

Giants trade Sanmartin to Nationals

The Giants announced Friday that they traded left-hander Reiver Sanmartin to the Nationals in exchange for Minor League right-hander Robert Cranz. Sanmartin, 30, was designated for assignment on Monday, when the Giants were forced to make nine cuts to get their 40-man roster down to an even 40 players.

Cranz, 23, was a seventh-round Draft pick of the Nationals in 2024 out of Oklahoma State. He logged a 5.17 ERA in 48 relief appearances between High-A Wilmington, Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester in 2026, though he showed he could miss bats by racking up 76 strikeouts over 54 innings.

The Giants and Nationals have been involved in quite a few transactions recently. Washington also acquired infielder Nate Furman from San Francisco in exchange for left-hander Tony Neubeck on Sunday and claimed right-hander Braxton Roxby off waivers last week.