#Brandon Belt

This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, . And to get it regularly in your inbox. When Drew Carey was still hosting the show, he'd open by saying: "Welcome to'Whose Line Is It Anyway?', the show where everything is made up and the points don't matter." The same can be said about the…

He is a little longer in the tooth and is coming off a season halted by injury, but in Brendon Belt the Blue Jays have added a two-time World Series champion as the latest move in a busy off-season overhaul. A source confirmed on Monday that the team has signed the versatile Belt to a one-year, $9.3-million US deal. The 34-year-old played all 12 of…

The next player in our 2023 season preview series is newly-acquired first baseman Brandon Belt. First, here's a refresher on the projection system we're going to be taking a look at. STEAMER: 326 PA, 62 H, 13 HR, 40 RBI, .222/.323/.410, 111 wRC+, 0.6 WAR 2021: 381 PA, 89 H, 29 HR, 59 RBI, .274/.378/.597, 157 wRC+, 3.4 WAR 2022: 298 PA, 54 H, 14 HR,…

I write this piece every year, but I never could have predicted what happened in 2021. Usually, "bold predictions" come up short because they're too bold. For instance, last year I picked Austin Slater to hit more homers than in his previous four seasons combined (he came close, missing by two!) and Duane Kuiper projected double-digit homers for…

The Toronto Blue Jays are betting big on themselves come 2023. Bringing in three new position players into their everyday lineup, Toronto opted for a fairly massive roster overhaul after a disappointing end to the 2022 season that saw them crash out of the playoffs with a Wild Card series sweep loss against the Seattle Mariners. While names like…

First shortstop Carlos Correa was going to leave the Minnesota Twins to sign a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. But concerns over Correa's earlier ankle injury prompted the Giants to back out of the deal after setting up the news conference to announce it. Awkward! That prompted billionaire fanboy Steve Cohen to swoop…

My everlasting love, I am coming home, for the war is over. Both sides are claiming victory, but there is no ambiguity in this matter. We are victorious, my sweet Gerty! We have prevailed! Sing tale of our triumph upon the highest mountain top, because we have won, we have won, we have won, and I am coming home. The Belt Wars are over. The good…

While the Carlos Correa negotiations remain in a deadlock, the Blue Jays made (some) headlines yesterday by inking Brandon Belt to a one-year deal worth $9.6 million, per multiple. Belt, a longtime fixture of the Giants' offense, is expected to play first base and serve as Toronto's designated hitter. That means he'll be sharing time with Vladimir…

On its own, the Toronto Blue Jays signing a 34-year-old infielder to a one-year deal is not the kind of thing that will cause fans to wonder what brand of ski googles the players will wear in their Champagne-soaked clubhouse. Brandon Belt? Nice hitter, when healthy. Strong beard. Excellent name with many headline-pun possibilities. But also a guy…

The San Diego Padres turn to - checks notes - Nick Martinez to start Monday in San Francisco after not appearing in a MLB game since 2017. He was solid in Japan last season but we're not expecting it to carry over against the Giants in our betting picks. Two NL West teams that got off to a winning start to the season face off Monday night as the…

Now getting the run support he needs, Julio Urias has racked up wins in eight straight starts. Behind another gem in a pitcher-friendly park, our MLB betting picks are expecting the Dodgers to cruise vs. the reeling San Franciso Giants. The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't have to make many moves at the deadline because this is the best team in…

The Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants will finish their weekend series in San Francisco on Sunday afternoon. With that said, it's a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Phillies-Giants prediction and pick, laid out below. The Phillies are 73-60, third place in the NL East, but holding on to the final NL Wild…

In order to repeat as NL West division champions, the Giants will need continued success from their biggest stars. Career seasons from Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt in 2021 helped propel San Francisco to a franchise-best 107-win season and a division crown. MLB.com released its annual list of the top-100 players in the game heading into the…

SAN FRANCISCO -- During the 2021 season, as he watched Cody Bellinger take early batting practice at Oracle Park, a member of the Giants staff talked of the adjustments he would try and make if he could work with Bellinger, who at the time was struggling to push past offseason shoulder surgery. Bellinger never found his old form that year and in…

We swept the board yesterday! Feels good to continue to win, as we are now 4-0-1 in our last two days. I have two main picks for you as well as two underdog picks in our Chalkboard Groupchat. Let's get into it. Kyle Wright (RHP, Braves) [13-4, 2.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 122.2 IP, 120 K, 36 BB] Carlos Carrasco (RHP, Mets) [11-4, 3.79 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 111.2…

Welcome to playoff baseball, where the "best" team wins the championship far less often than in other sports. To wit: According to Baseball Prospectus odds, no team in the 2021 playoff field has better than a 20 percent chance to win the World Series. With eight deserving teams ready to do battle, let's dive into the reasons each particular team…

Last week, first baseman Anthony Rizzo declined his option for the 2023 season, making him a free agent. The New York Yankees gave him the qualifying offer. If he were to accept it, he would see a pay-raise from $16 million to $19.65 million. Rizzo has yet to accept the offer, and is free to negotiate with any team he chooses. The Yankees are the…

Major League Baseball's 2022 winter meetings blew through San Diego like a three-day whirlwind, sending Justin Verlander to the Mets, Trea Turner to the Phillies, Willson Contreras to the Cardinals, Kenley Jansen to the Red Sox and "Arson Judge" into the pantheon of baseball's greatest Twitter moments. One of our biggest takeaways from the spending…

All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links. Go ahead, count them out again. The 2021 MLB season hasn't even been over for a full day, and we already have World Series odds. Once again,…

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Zach Plesac and the Guardians take on Carlos Rodón and the Giants in Cleveland's 2022 home opener. Cleveland has won four of its last five home openers, picking up victories in its Progressive Field debut each year from 2017-20 before dropping a 3-0 decision to Kansas City last season. This contest against the San Francisco Giants…

The Giants began the 2021 season with little fanfare in a division that was supposed to be dominated by behemoths in Los Angeles and San Diego. All manager Gabe Kapler's team did was obliterate every projection system, win a franchise-record 107 games and stop the Dodgers' eight-year streak of NL West titles - and because the Dodgers won 106 games,…

The San Francisco Giants (65-73, 28-41 away) are mired in yet another losing streak. Just nine days after ending a seven-game skid, San Fran is now out to end a five-game drought when they face the Chicago Cubs (58-80, 30-40 home) in the second outing of a three-game set on Saturday. Oddsmakers believe the Giants have a decent shot at earning their…

Though we're still waiting on the biggest, Aaron Judge-sized domino to fall, there have already been quite a few lucrative deals handed out in this year's MLB free-agency cycle. Eleven players have agreed to contracts worth at least $10 million per year, and there could be as many as 40 more at that price point when all is said and done. Not all of…

The San Francisco Giants (2-2) host the San Diego Padres (4-1) on Tuesday night as these teams collide for game two of the three-game series. The Padres picked up a 4-2 win in the first game of the series. Right-hander Alex Cobb is making his first start for San Francisco. Meanwhile, Yu Darvish is getting the start for San Diego. First pitch is set…

SAN DIEGO - Speaking with reporters before a recent game, Giants manager Gabe Kapler raised some eyebrows with one particular assessment of his club. It wasn't his plea for better energy, nor was it any indictment of their poor play. "It's a different group of guys," Kapler said, referring to the 2022 team versus the one that won 107 games a year…

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the starting lineups for Saturday's game between the Guardians and Giants. Where: Progressive Field, 6:10 p.m. TV/Radio: Bally Great Lakes Sports, WTAM. Records: Giants (5-2), Guardians (4-3). Starting pitchers: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (0-0, 4.91) vs. Cal Quantrill (1-0, 3.60) GUARDIANS CF Myles Straw. LF Steven Kwan. 3B…

The Chicago White Sox will attempt a three-game sweep on the road as they finish the weekend set against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a White Sox-Giants prediction and pick. The White Sox defeated the Giants 5-3 on Saturday. The Sox trailed early when LaMonte Wade Jr. blasted a solo home run…

It is finally Friday, and who hasn't loved all of these inter-league matchups to start off the 2022 MLB season? The San Francisco Giants will travel to the great midwest to battle it out on the diamond against the Cleveland Guardians. It is time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Giants-Guardians prediction and pick will be…

The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants will end their four-game series with an afternoon matinee Thursday in San Francisco. With that said, it's a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Diamondbacks-Giants prediction and pick we have laid out below. Arizona is on the outside looking in on the playoff race, sitting…

There is more to the San Francisco Giants' offseason than the Great Aaron Judge Pursuit. Judge, the All-Star outfielder from Linden (San Joaquin County), is certainly San Francisco's top target, and there appears to have been a sea change in thinking about where he'll land. After an MVP-worthy season with the Yankees, the consensus was that he'd…

The Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants will meet in the rubber match of a three-game series at Oracle Park. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Giants prediction and pick. The Giants pounded the Nationals 9-3 on Saturday. Washington jumped out to an early lead in the third inning with back-to-back RBI doubles…

The Chicago Cubs (32-26) try to prevent a four-game sweep by the San Francisco Giants (37-21) at Oracle Park Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Cubs vs. Giants odds with MLB picks and predictions. Season series: Giants lead 3-0. RHP Kyle Hendricks makes his 12th start for the Cubs.…

On Saturday evening, two hopeful pennant-worthy teams will continue their interleague series as the San Francisco Giants try to make it four straight as they take on the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. It is time to take a look at our MLB odds series, where our Giants-Guardians prediction and pick will be made. Currently sitting in a…

As the baseball world prepares for the offseason to kick into a higher gear this evening, here are three things to keep an eye on throughout the day: 1. The Next Stage Of The Offseason Begins At 4 PM CDT today, free agency will begin in earnest. Most importantly, that time is when free agents will be free to negotiate and sign new contracts with…

The San Francisco Giants went on a terrific run in their 2021 campaign as one of the best underdog teams in the regular season with 107 wins. Even before they added Kris Bryant to the roster, San Francisco was already a force to be reckoned with because of their impeccable pitching and defense. Offense was still lacking as proven in their…

As we predicted back in April, Anthony Rizzo has opted out of his contract with the Yankees. The All-Star first baseman's decision was reported Monday. He now leaves a guaranteed $16 million on the table and will test the free agent market. Rizzo turned in a solid season for the Yankees at age 33. He hit a modest.224, but tied his career-high with…

The St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants will meet in the finale of a four-game series at Oracle Park. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Cardinals-Giants prediction and pick. The Giants routed the Cardinals 13-7 on Saturday to earn a win in the four-game series. They fell behind 1-0 early on a Nolan Arenado RBI single…

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes toes the rubber tonight but we like the San Francisco Giants' lefty-heavy lineup to solve him in Milwaukee. Red-hot Joc Pederson will help lead the way against the Brewers in our betting picks. The Milwaukee Brewers have won six of their last seven games and will now try to stay hot when they face a San…

Following a franchise-best 107-win season in 2021, the Giants' over/under for wins this season is rather surprising. After Buster Posey announced his retirement, San Francisco lost both Kevin Gausman and Kris Bryant in free agency and all three of those departures likely played a role in the conservative betting line. With six days until Opening…

The Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies are set to kick off the 2022 World Series on Friday night, and the matchup promises to be an exciting one. While much of the baseball world will be focused on the Fall Classic, many MLB players, teams and agents are looking past it. Several high-profile players will become free agents once the final out…

Aaron Judge may have played his final game in pinstripes. The 30-year-old home run king is hitting free agency and early betting odds have the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets among the favorites to sign him if he leaves the Yankees. Has it really come to this? New York Yankees slugger - and presumptive AL MVP - Aaron Judge is hitting free…

Another 1-1 day yesterday, but I feel the tides are beginning to turn. I used this exact sentence yesterday, and it still bodes true. We took the under in Twins vs. Tigers, which hit pretty easily. We saw one blow-up inning from the Twins as Bailey Ober had a rough fifth inning. It didn't matter, as those were the last runs scored in the game, with…

For the first time in over a decade, the SF Giants could begin next season without a familiar face at first base. According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Giants are "not expected to push for a reunion" with longtime first baseman Brandon Belt. This quote could be interpreted in a few different ways. The first way is that San…

The San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers will square off in an early afternoon matchup on Thursday afternoon. With that said, it's a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Giants-Brewers prediction and pick, laid out below. San Francisco has gone 65-70 on the season, officially eliminated from the playoffs. This is a far…

Philly, who entered the weekend as a top-10 World Series odds contender, will give the ball to Noah Syndergaard. Thor has been up and down since being acquired from the LA Angels, and is fresh off his worst outing of the season. Facing the lowly Pirates, aka MLB's third lowest scoring team, Syndergaard was tagged for nine hits and five runs over…

The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants finish off a 3-game series on Wednesday! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Padres-Giants prediction and pick. San Diego is looking for a sweep over the NL West rivals. The Padres have escaped the first two games in SF as the Giants have fought to the very end in both games. Down 4-1 in…