The Giants aren't hiding it anymore. San Francisco is playing out the string as clear sellers heading into the trade deadline, and according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Phillies and Mariners have already sent scouts to check in on two of the roster's more intriguing pieces: outfielder Heliot Ramos and do-it-all infielder Casey Schmitt.
MLB Trade Rumors flagged the scouting reports on Ramos and Schmitt as the Giants' selling mode comes into focus.
Ramos, 26, has had an injury-interrupted season, limited to 62 games by a quad strain, but the underlying numbers are loud. He's posting a 112 wRC+ with 9 home runs in 252 plate appearances, and since coming back healthy he's hit .883 OPS over his last 18 games. He's still a year away from arbitration, which makes him a cheap, controllable bat for a contender looking for outfield pop without giving up a monster prospect package.
Schmitt might be the more interesting name of the two. The 27-year-old has broken out at the plate, hitting .275/.304/.482 with 19 homers and a career-high 9 steals while bouncing all over the infield. He's got three years of team control left, which is exactly the kind of long-term value contenders and rebuilding clubs alike drool over at the deadline.
None of this is happening in a vacuum. San Francisco's books are jammed up for years to come, with Willy Adames, Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers all owed big money into the 2030s, Adames and Devers each north of $30 million a year. That's part of why any team hoping to pry Ramos or Schmitt loose might have to eat one of those albatross deals as the price of admission.
That complication is exactly why these are scouting trips right now and not trade agreements. Teams want extra looks before committing to a package, especially if that package includes swallowing salary they didn't budget for. Expect the Phillies and Mariners to keep circling, with more clubs likely to join in as the deadline gets closer and the Giants' selling stance hardens.
For Giants fans, this is the uncomfortable part of a step-back season: watching two of the more fun, homegrown pieces on the roster get shopped for future value. Ramos and Schmitt have both looked like building blocks this year. Whether San Francisco actually pulls the trigger, or just lets the scouting reports pile up as leverage, is the next thing to watch.