Written by Dave Tobener at Bloguin
Brandon Belt has been a lightning rod for Giants fans ever since he first arrived in the big leagues a few years ago. After destroying every level of the minor leagues in one season, fans were expecting him to be the second coming of Will Clark from the start. But he struggled to adjust to the majors, and it took him a few years to find his footing before becoming a key contributor on two World Series championship teams.
And now, two years away from free agency and arbitration eligible, Belt stands to cost the Giants a pretty good chunk of change over the next few years. Would it be smart for the Giants to try and sign him to a long term extension, like they just did with Brandon Crawford? Or should they wait and see before committing big money and lots of years to their first baseman? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of signing Belt to an extension:
Pro: Belt is good
This is pretty important when discussing whether or not a team should sign a player to a long term extension, probably. Belt is the best first baseman the Giants have produced since Clark, and his bat is an important piece in the middle of the order. He’s also a plus defender and part of the best defensive Giants’ infield they’ve had in a long time. Quite simply, the Giants are a better team when Belt is in the lineup. He strikes out a lot, he’s streaky, and chances are he’ll never hit 35-plus homers like many expected him to. But his strengths more than make up for his shortfalls and he’s capable of carrying the entire offense for weeks at a time. Guys like that are hard to come by, and the Giants should lock him up while they can.
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