The San Francisco Giants officials tossed the idea around of re-signing first baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt, but signing the lefty-hitting DH would mean shifting lefty hitting Michael Conforto to the outfield and potentially sending Luis Matos back to Triple-A, reducing the team's overall range and athleticism. Belt hit 19 home runs in 339 at-bats in 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays, and his 136 OPS+ would have matched Wilmer Flores for the highest on the Giants last season. The 35-year-old plans to continue playing in 2024 and is believed to be close to signing with a new team, but it won't be the Giants, and he's also unlikely to return to Toronto after they recently signed veteran Justin Turner, who at this point in his career will most likely be a full-time DH. The best-case landing spot for Belt is probably the World Series-champion Texas Rangers.
The Texas Rangers have had internal discussions about signing free-agent first baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt, who played for manager Bruce Bochy in San Francisco. On paper, Belt is a perfect fit for the Rangers, as he'd effectively replace Mitch Garver in their lineup. However, the question all offseason has been how much cash general manager Chris Young has available. Texas just signed reliever David Robertson and are the favorites to re-sign lefty Jordan Montgomery, but it remains to be seen if there would be any money left after that for a hitter like Belt. The 35-year-old lefty slugger was one of just six players in baseball to generate a barrel percentage of at least 15% and a chase rate below 23%, which led to a nice .369 on-base percentage and a great .890 OPS against right-handed pitching.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt, now a free agent following the Blue Jays' elimination from the postseason on Wednesday, is undecided on whether he will continue his playing career in 2024. Belt said he will talk with his family before making any final decisions on his future. The veteran signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays for the 2023 season and hit .254 with 19 home runs and an .859 OPS across 103 games played. He caught fire after a slow start, hitting .264 with a massive .319 isolated power and .958 OPS after the All-Star break, production that graded out 61% above the league average, as per his 161 second-half wRC+. His performance this season will surely garner interest on the open market should he decide to return for the 2024 campaign.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt is on fire heading into the postseason. In the 12-8 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday in the regular season finale, Belt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a strikeout. The 35-year-old has been hot in September and now has cleared the fences three times in the last four games as the Blue Jays head into the postseason. Belt finishes the year with 19 home runs while hitting .254/.369/.490 with an .858 OPS, 43 RBI and 53 runs scored in 339 at-bats in his first year in Toronto. Most importantly, though, he's hit .296 (8-for-27) with four homers, a double, six RBI and six runs scored in nine games (seven starts) in the final month of the regular season while also dealing with an injury.
Brandon Belt Launches A Solo Shot Versus Tampa Bay
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Brandon Belt had a productive day at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's game against the Rays, despite the team's loss. This marked his third dinger in the last four games. The 35-year-old recently returned from the IL. Belt's regular season concludes with him posting a slash line of .254/.369/.490. He also slugged 19 home runs and recorded 43 RBI in 339 at-bats.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt is not in the starting lineup on Saturday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. George Springer is serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff, while Cavan Biggio draws a start in right field and is hitting in the two-hole against Rays right-handed opener Shawn Armstrong. Belt has gone deep in back-to-back games, but the 35-year-old left-handed-hitting veteran will get a day of rest before the regular season finale on Sunday. He's missed some time with injuries in his first year in Toronto, but overall Belt has been solid with a .252 average (83-for-329) with 17 homers and 41 RBI. He's played in just six games (five starts) in September due to injury, but he's gone 5-for-17 (.294) with two homers and a double.
The Toronto Blue Jays activated first baseman Brandon Belt (back) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and also recalled reliever Jay Jackson from the minors. In corresponding moves, the team optioned first baseman Spencer Horwitz and right-hander Nate Pearson to the Florida Complex League. Belt is serving as the designated hitter and is batting sixth for Toronto on Tuesday against the visiting New York Yankees and right-hander Michael King. The 35-year-old veteran left-handed slugger is back for the first time since landing on the IL on Sept. 12 with back spasms. The Jays will hope Belt will be better to close out the regular season than he was in six games (five starts) just before his injury, when he went 3-for-18 (.167) with a homer, an RBI and nine strikeouts.
First baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt (back) traveled with the Toronto Blue Jays to Tropicana Field for their series against the Tampa Bay Rays and was set to hit off a machine on Friday. The next step for the veteran slugger could be to face live pitching, barring any setbacks, at the team's complex in Florida. Belt appears to be inching closer to a return from lumbar spine muscle spasms, which forced him to the injured list early last week. The 35-year-old has been encumbered by back issues throughout the second half of the year. Belt has proven to be a nice pickup for the Jays this season, slashing a solid .251/.369/.470 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles, and 38 RBI in 382 plate appearances.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt (back) left Monday's game early against the Texas Rangers due to lower-back muscle spasms. Before he left, Belt went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts to drop his season average to .251 and his OPS to .839 on the year. He was replaced as the designated hitter by rookie Spencer Horwitz. The 35-year-old Belt has been dealing with some back issues in the second half of the season, and this is certainly something that could send the veteran left-handed hitter to the injured list for most, if not all, of the 2023 regular season. Belt entered Monday's game hitting .252/.371/.473 with an .844 OPS, 16 home runs, 38 RBI and 50 runs scored in 317 at-bats in his first year in Toronto.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt (illness) remains out of Sunday's lineup versus the Kansas City Royals. The 35-year-old hasn't been seen in action since last Sunday due first to a back problem and now a stomach virus. Belt's next opportunity to return arrives on Monday for Game 1 of a four-game set with the Texas Rangers. The one-time All-Star is slashing a dependable .252/.371/.473 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles, and 38 RBI in 380 plate appearances, so he's been relevant in AL-only leagues.
