BRANDON BELT, DH/1B
Position: DH/1B B/T: L/L
Age: 35 (04/20/1988)
2023 Traditional Stats: 103 G, 404 PA, .254/.369/.490/.858, 19 HR, 43 RBI, 23 2B, 61 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 138 WRC+, 34.9% SO%, 15.1% BB%, .370 BABIP, .337 xwOBA, 2.3 fWAR, 2.0 bWAR
RUNDOWN
Brandon Belt spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the San Francisco Giants, helping them win the World Series in 2012 and in 2014. But the first baseman struggled with a multitude of injuries in 2022, appearing in just 78 games. As a result, the Giants decided to go in a different direction, so Belt was forced to look for a new opportunity on the open market. A few teams were believed to be in the mix for the one-time All-Star, but in the end, he would agree to a one-year, $9.3 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
That decision payed off in a big way for both sides, as Belt gave the team a left-handed bat who had the ability to step in for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base. Toronto’s offense struggled to maintain any sort of consistency from top to bottom, but the now 35-year-old was one of the few who did avoided a poor stretch throughout the second half. After the All-Star break, Belt slashed .264/.374/.583/.957 in a total of 42 games (171 plate appearances).
There is no denying that Belt had a strong campaign at the plate, but one of the few negatives from an offensive point of view was his high number of strikeouts. His 34.9 percent strikeout rate set a new career-high by quite some margin, as his previous high was as a rookie back in 2011 (27.3 percent strikeout rate). Belt has averaged a 24.5 percent strikeout rate for his career, so he has always dealt with that. It will be interesting to see if that number comes down in 2024, given where he has been at for most of his career.
CONTRACT
While he did have a good season with the Blue Jays, it is difficult to see Belt getting around $9.3 million in free agency. Given his age and how late it is in the off-season, he may need to settle for a one-year deal or a one-deal deal with an option to extend for a second. Belt’s market should gain some traction over the next few weeks, and I expect him to end up with an AAV around $8 million.
RECOMMENDATION
The New York Mets have made it clear that they want to give Mark Vientos every chance to get a majority of the at bats as the team’s designated hitter, but that should not stop them from adding at least one more piece. The team was in talks with Justin Turner, but he just signed with the Blue Jays. J.D. Martinez has been linked to the Mets as well, but if they fail to sign him, a solid alternative is Belt. He would provide another option to be the designated hitter, and if Pete Alonso needs a day off, he is more than capable of filling in at first base for the slugger.
