Giants continue locking up core with Brandon Belt extension

(AP) Under Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy, the San Francisco Giants have always had a good mix of homegrown talent and outside veterans who are perfectly suited to their needs and culture.

What makes it work though is that homegrown core, because everything builds from that. That’s why San Francisco makes it a point to lock up those players, which they’ve already done with Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner and Brandon Crawford. Now reports say they’ve done it again with first baseman Brandon Belt.

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According to Comcast Sportnet’s Alex Pavlovic, several of his sources indicate that Belt and the Giants agreed to a five-year extension on Friday. The financial terms were not clear, but it’s expected to be similar to Crawford’s six-year, $75 million deal, which was finalized in November.

MLB insider Jon Heyman adds that the deal does not include options, so it’s a straight up five-year pact.

Belt, who struggled to win the confidence of Bruce Bochy early in his career, has settled in nicely as their every day first baseman. The 27-year-old posted a .280/.356/.478 batting line to go along with a career-high 18 home runs in 2015. On the defensive side, he looked comfortable as well, earning his first Gold Glove nomination.

Belt was slated to be a free agent following the 2017 season. He avoided arbitration this season after agreeing to a $6.2 million salary. The two sides first began discussing a long-term deal in February. Clearly, the beginning of the new season didn’t interrupt the talks, as is frequently the case. The two sides wanted to get something done, and now both can look forward.

As Pavolic also notes, this deal all but guarantees Belt, Crawford, Posey and Bumgarner will be together through the 2019 season. According to reports, that was a motivating factor for Belt as he wanted to stay a part of that core.

On the Giants side, this continues their trend of betting on talent that they know and are comfortable having around. As with Crawford, they’ve locked up a good player at terms they should be able to work around. It gives them certainty, rather than an ever-changing value.

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If Belt’s most productive years are still to come, which many believe they are, the Giants could end up with a bargain as prices for similar talents soar. If that isn’t the case, Belt’s contract could be a burden. The Giants are one team that’s capable of absorbing such a contract though, so even with the risks, it’s difficult to agree with the possible rewards.

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