Mariners’ Right-Handed Bat Search Takes Another Hit With Giants’ Casey Schmitt Injury

Another potential target is down.

Jul 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt (left) walks off the field with head of medical and performance Dave Groeschner (right) after suffering an injury during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Mariners’ deadline shopping list was already narrow enough. Finding a right-handed bat in the 2026 trade market wasn’t going to be an easy task. But baseball has taken a red pen to that list twice in a matter of days. 

First came Spencer Steer’s right wrist injury. Now Giants infielder Casey Schmitt has landed on the IL with a torn left meniscus that could end his season. Two of Seattle’s cleanest fits have effectively been taken off the market with the Aug. 3 trade deadline closing in.

Schmitt belonged in the obvious-fit bucket, but it’s not like the deal was close or anything. There has been no firm reporting that the Mariners and Giants were working toward a trade involving him. Seattle reportedly scouted San Francisco, and Schmitt was widely identified as a logical target because his skill set matched what the Mariners needed. The connection was simple.

Casey Schmitt Checked Nearly Every Mariners Trade Deadline Box

Schmitt was slashing .271/.301/.483 with a .784 OPS and a career-high 21 home runs through 98 games. The righty had produced an .820 OPS against left-handed pitching, and his ability to move around the infield would have given Seattle several ways to use him. He also remains under club control through the 2029 season. 

The Mariners need a hitter good enough to strengthen the lineup now and controllable enough to justify surrendering meaningful talent. Schmitt offered that possibility. But it’s fair to say that the door is closed. 

Steer’s situation had already removed another appealing name from the conversation. The Reds put him on the IL with a partial tear in his right wrist area, and he will spend two weeks in a splint before being reevaluated. Cincinnati hopes rest will help him avoid season-ending surgery, but that timetable runs straight through the trade deadline.

Steer had a 1.062 OPS against lefties and experience at nearly every position on the field. He was exactly the type of movable right-handed bat Seattle could have plugged into several different lineups.

The Mariners’ Need Has Not Changed, but Their Options Have

Unfortunately, Seattle is shopping in a market flooded with buyers and short on sellers. POBO Jerry Dipoto acknowledged that problem before the injuries to Steer and Schmitt. At that time, 23 of MLB’s 30 teams were either in a playoff position or within four games of one.

That gives the few willing sellers enormous leverage. So the Mariners are stuck in an odd position. A mediocre right-handed hitter doesn’t become a valuable trade acquisition simply because Seattle’s alternatives have gotten hurt. 

The M’s have reportedly shown more willingness to trade from its starting rotation than in previous years. That can make sense for the right return. Schmitt or Steer at least gave the Mariners a reason to discuss a substantial package.

The remaining options may not clear that bar. We understand the pressure. The Mariners remain close enough to the postseason race that standing still would feel reckless. Schmitt represented more than another right-handed bat. He represented the type of acquisition that could solve a present weakness without creating a future problem.

They can survive missing out on Schmitt. What they cannot afford is allowing his injury to scare them into paying a premium price for somebody who’s not worth it.