Giants versatile infielder stands out as obvious Guardians José Ramírez replacement

On Saturday, the tenor of the Guardians’ season changed when José Ramírez suffered a fractured left hamate bone that’s going to keep him out until July (at the earliest). 

While the Guardians should be able handle third base in the short-term thanks to the number of versatile utility players on their roster, none of them are the kind of productive, everyday option that Ramírez is (but who is, really?).

Even if Ramírez’s injury isn’t season-ending, the Guardians can’t afford to wait too long for his production given how tight things are in the American League postseason picture. 

And the best way they can make the most of their non-Ramírez time is by acquiring infielder Casey Schmitt from the San Francisco Giants. 

Casey Schmitt would mitigate the loss of José Ramírez

Earlier this year, the Guardians jumped the line for the trade deadline by acquiring catcher Patrick Bailey from the San Francisco Giants. While the Guardians’ catching situation was pretty dire prior to Clevleand’s acquisition of Bailey, it was more of a trade of “want” than “need.” 

Things would be a bit different in a potential trade for Schmitt given how much they have a clear  need thanks to Ramírez’s injury. And although Schmitt isn’t the same kind of player as Ramírez, he’d immediately become the best player in Cleveland's infield. 

The 27-year-old is in the midst of a breakout season, as he ended the weekend with a .272/.301/.504 slashline with 15 home runs and 38 RBI in 63 games. And, perhaps most importantly to the Guardians, he’s done it while moving all around the diamond (he’s seen time at every position but catcher, center field and right field). 

Even if he isn’t as good of a defender as Daniel Schnemann, he’s been worth 2 Outs Above Average at third in his career and would be able to hold his own there until Ramírez returns. 

He also comes with three more years of team control, which would make him an even more attractive option for a Guardians’ front office that loves players who have versatility and team control. 

The hardest part would be putting together a package that’s good enough to wiggle him away from the Giants. 

While San Francisco already seems to be playing for next year after their rough start to the season, Schmitt’s a valuable player who has that aforementioned control. He also wasn’t in Buster Posey's doghouse, which seems to be part of the reason why Bailey became expendable. 

Even though Ramírez was in the midst of a down season (by his standards), he was still an incredibly productive player who was the heartbeat of the Guardians’ lineup. 

Schmitt may not be on the same level as him, but he’d be a great option who could help them in both the short-term and long-term.

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