The 2025 offseason could prove to be a pivotal one for the A’s organization in many ways. Their young core seems to be coming together, and with the right moves, they could be a sneaky team next season. Not to mention, they are headed to play their first season in Sacramento at Sutter Health Park, home of the San Francisco Giants Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats.
With the A’s sharing Sutter Health Park with the Sacramento River Cats, would it make sense for the A’s to target a player with 229 at-bats at Sutter Health Park?
Casey Schmitt made his MLB debut with the Giants on May 9th, 2023. Since then, he has been up and down between San Francisco and Triple-A Sacramento. Schmitt seemed to finally iron out the struggles he had at the plate in 2023 with the Giants and performed well with them this season in a limited role.
Schmitt played in 40 games with the Giants in 2024, hitting .252/.283/.477 with six home runs, four doubles and a triple all in 107 at-bats. Schmitt played 19 games at second base, ten at shortstop, nine at third base, and one as the designated hitter.
When looking at the A’s projected infield for 2025, three positions seem to be set. No.1 prospect Jacob Wilson at shortstop, soon-to-be 25-year-old Zack Gelof at second base, and former A’s No.1 prospect Tyler Soderstrom at first base, leaving third base as the biggest question mark for the A’s heading into the offseason.
The A’s have a few in-house options for third base in Max Schuemann, Brett Harris, Darell Hernaiz, and No. 8 prospect Max Muncy. The most likely of those options is Schuemann, who played 27 games at third base for the A’s last season. However, Schuemann registered a -1 Outs Above Average (OAA) at third base, according to Baseball Savant and is best suited as a utility player for the A’s. With the Athletics looking to improve their team defense, he may not be the long-term solution they are looking for.
Schmitt, however, is praised for his defensive instincts and strong arm. This season, in only 60 innings at third base, Schmitt registered a 0 OAA, which is considered average. However, in 2023, in 236 innings, Schmitt registered a 2 OAA, and anything above zero is considered good. For comparison, Matt Chapman and Nolan Arenado, who have been considered the best fielding third baseman in the sport, registered 11 OAA in 1,338 innings and 9 OAA in 1,268 innings in 2024, respectively.
The question is, would the Giants consider moving Schmitt? On paper, it makes sense with the Giants crowded infield. Chapman is their third baseman of the future after signing his 6-year/$151 million extension. Tyler Fitzgerald broke out in 2024, hitting .280 and playing 72 games at shortstop, and former No.1 Giants prospect Marco Luciano figures to slot in as their second baseman next season. Therefore, leaving all starting opportunities occupied for Schmitt, and he would, at best, be their infield backup.
The A’s have some players that could be of interest to the Giants if a trade were to happen. Ryan Noda and Seth Brown seem to have lost their roles with the team. Brown played quite a bit in 2024 but was demoted in the summer and played a stint with Triple-A Las Vegas, plus, the A’s have a lot of outfield talent in the minors.
The A’s do not have much to offer on the pitching side, as that is their biggest weakness, but a pitcher like Dany Jiménez might make sense for both sides. Jiménez is projected to get $1 million in arbitration this year, but with all of his injuries, the A’s could be looking to move on, and the Giants might be interested in his career 3.93 ERA with his slider that produces a good amount of swing-and-miss.
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