this is NOT good...

This is crazy. One of the Giants best players through the first half and unarguably one of their most consistent hitters through the entire season is on the move according to a former GM in Major League Baseball. We'll break that report down here on SF Giants Digest and just how much sense it makes for Buster Posey and the organization moving forward. If you're new here, welcome to the channel. I am your host, Michael Monreal, and if you've been here before, welcome back to SF Giants Digest. Now, before we get into today's video, if you haven't yet, make sure to go down below, hit that subscribe button. About three quarters of you guys watching the videos are not actually subscribed to the channel yet. It's completely free. Takes just a second of your time and really does help us continue to bring the best Giants content and analysis on YouTube. So if you enjoyed today's content and have been enjoying the videos over the entire 2026 campaign, make sure to go down below and hit that button. Would be much appreciated by myself and everyone here at Digest Media. Now, naturally, this is the time of the year where when you're a bad team in Major League Baseball, all you are going to be talking about is the trade deal. And I guess you could say that about good teams too, because of course they are going to be buying. But in the San Francisco Giants case, they have been arguably the most obvious sellers in all of Major League Baseball through the entire season thus far. Obviously, the Mets are in that conversation, but I'd argue that the Giants have more valuable assets on their roster as we currently speak. Of course, there's names like Louisa Rice, like Robby Ray, even the Junkoo Lees, the Elliott Ramos that we have speaking of. But this next report from Jim Bowden is pretty crazy once you think about it, especially considering what the Giants future looks like. Now, he said that the Giants should trade Casey Schmidt and Eric Miller for George Kirby of the Seattle Mariners. Now, first of all, my mind goes in a ton of different places, but in the actual article, he said, San Francisco would land another top starting pitcher in Kirby to slot behind Logan Webb in its rotation. Adding Kirby would give the Giants a head start on replacing South Paul Robby Ray, who is expected to be traded between now and the deadline. Kirby, 28, is making just $6.55 million. He's arbitration eligible and controllable for two and a half more years. Now, before I break down all of the different aspects of this deal, let me know down in the comments, does this move make sense for the Giants in your opinion? I'm going to break down what I think about it, but let me know your opinion on this deal. Casey Schmidt, Eric Miller to the Mariners for George Kirby. Let me know how you feel about it down in the comments below. Now, let's start with Casey Schmidt. Casey Schmidt, as I mentioned in the intro, has been arguably the Giants' most consistent player all year. Obviously, Luis Reyes is in that bucket, but Casey Schmidt has been absolutely awesome in his own right. 275, 304, 482 slash lane, 1.8 wins above replacement, 19 home runs already surpassed his total from the last two seasons combined, 50 RBIs striking out less than 20% of the time for the first time in his career. I think that's part of what has led to this breakout season, but this is a guy who you build as part of the future. I'm personally in the bucket where we should not be trading Casey Schmidt. He has been absolutely awesome all season long, and you finally developed a above average regular, which the Giants haven't been able to say in a long time. Of course, there's names like Elliot Ramos, Patrick Bailey, who technically were above average regulars, but I think Casey Schmidt, thanks to his defense as well, is extremely highly valued and way more of a needle mover than some of those other names that I have mentioned in the past. Now, we'll get into Eric Miller, into George Kirby, those other guys in this conversation, but staying on the Casey Schmidt bucket, this guy is not a free agent until 2030. You have four more seasons of this guy, and Giants fans are talking about trading him. Now, I personally think that it would be malpractice for Buster Posey to make this deal. Now, I understand the Giants are 15 games under 500. They're unarguably one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, and it has been a disaster season. So I do understand the fact that he holds some of the most value on their roster, and they could get a very good return. But when your only return is George Kirby in this mock trade from Jim Bowden, I don't see that being worth it. The Giants are still a pretty far ways away from competing. Now, I know if they completely rebuilt some of the rotation in the bullpen this offseason, then sure, they can compete next year because this offense is good. But losing Casey Schmidt in this offense is a big blow. As I mentioned, 19 home runs, 50 RBIs, one of their most consistent hitters in the lineup since the start of the season. This guy was in numerous all-star conversations. I personally thought he should have been an all-star over Logan Webb. So trading a guy like this right now with the current state of the franchise makes absolutely no sense to me. Now, moving forward, a different conversation. I said the Giants finally developed an above-average regular who can play defense, Schmidt of course, and the fan base wants to trade him. I'm honestly surprised how many people on Twitter, Instagram, the entire social media community of the San Francisco Giants actually want to trade Casey Schmidt. It really has baffled me because of the fact that I think there's three untouchables on the Giants. Casey Schmidt is one of them, Bryce Eldridge, of course, and Logan Webb. Now, you can disagree or agree with Logan Webb. I understand wanting to trade Webb right now, but Schmidt and Eldridge should be the two undiscussable, untradeable guys on the roster. Those are guys you build around. Those are guys that should be here for the long haul. And sure, if Casey Schmidt regresses to what he's been over the past few years next year, then sure, you can call me wrong. I will take that on the chin. But as it currently stands, what he's showed so far, Casey Schmidt absolutely decides or deserves to be a part of the future here in San Francisco. Now, the other two guys in this trade, Eric Miller, this one, the Giants wouldn't be losing a ton. I know he's a fun upside lefty in the bullpen, a 3-1-8 ERA this year, 28 innings in 33 games, striking out 12.7 guys per nine, but also walking 6.3 hitters per nine. I hate the bullpen. That's part of what has cost him a lot this year. I feel like so many times I've seen a guy come in, walk a guy or two, and then get hit or get hurt by a big double or a big home run. And that has been kind of the bullpen's Achilles heel this year. So I don't love his style of pitching, but I do agree that he has a ton of loud stuff, you know, touching triple digits, semi-regularly, sitting 97 to 98, some nasty sliders. And I do think he is a valuable piece in a bullpen. But right now I think with the Giants, I don't know if he's a guy that they sell considering how little lefty depth they have. It's really just him, Sam Henges, and those are the two lefties in the bullpen that I somewhat trust as though I really do not trust a lot of guys in that Giants bullpen currently. Let me know in the comments how you feel about Eric Miller. I wouldn't be upset to see him go, but I also wouldn't mind them keeping him after this trade deadline. So let me know how you feel about him down in the comments below. But the really big kicker in this conversation is George Kirby, obviously who the Giants would be getting in return for Casey Schmidt and Eric Miller. He has a .357 ERA in 116 innings this year, striking out just 8 hitters per 9, walking just 2 hitters per 9. So he's a big control guy, doesn't overpower guys, but still a very fun pitcher to like. And I'll be the first to say it, I've been a fan of George Kirby for a few years. I think he's a really fun pitcher to watch, and he's been at the top of that Mariners rotation for a long time. You look at his ERAs over the years, a .339 in 130 innings, a .335 in 190 innings, a .353 in 191 innings. Last year was his first down year, but he dealt with some injuries, only 126 innings, but he did strike out nearly 10 guys per 9. That was a 4-2-1 ERA. And then this year kind of back to his normal stat line. So he's a fun starting pitcher, but I don't necessarily know if he, I'll tell you this, he has control for two more years after this season. Does that really fit the Giants timeline more than Casey Schmidt right now? Is that really a deal you want to make if you're trying to build for the 2028, 2029, 2030 Giants when you're considering the prospects of the Giants having a farm system right now? I wouldn't make this deal personally. I don't think George Kirby aligns with the timeline of the San Francisco Giants. That's just my personal belief. Now that is going to do it for today's video. Make sure to let me know down in the comments, how you feel about this, you know, potential trade, this hypothetical deal between the Giants and the Mariners. It's one that if I was Buster Posey, if I was in that seat of the president of baseball operations, I am not making that deal. I personally just don't think that the timeline of George Kirby with the Giants lines up more than Casey Schmidt and Casey Schmidt's more affordable. This guy's not a free agent until 2030. He's entering arbitration this year. So I do think that you finally have a cost controlled player. Who's going to be cheap. He's going to be affordable. And he looks like he's a guy who if, if he stays on what he's done this season, he could be an all star in the future. So that is my personal reasoning for wanting to keep Casey Schmidt and not deal him to the Mariners. As I mentioned, everyone outside of Webb Schmidt and Eldridge should be available, but I would not do this deal. If I was Buster Posey, let me know down the comments, how you felt about this mock trade. If you would do it, what are your thoughts on it? Let me know down in the comments when you hear your guys's opinion. And if you enjoyed today's video, make sure to go down below, hit that subscribe button. That'd be much appreciated by myself and everyone here at digest media. As always, thank you so much for watching and we'll see you next time.