© Stan Szeto | 2018 Aug 31
Teams have engaged in discussions regarding a trade for Giants first baseman Brandon Belt, according to longtime MLB reporter Bob Nightengale.
Several teams have expressed interest in 1B Brandon Belt, who’s available, in talks with the #SFGiants
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 10, 2018
Belt, 30, could be seen as one of the Giants’ most valuable trade chips, due largely to his ability to get on-base (career .356 OBP) and his defensive ability at first. Belt posted a slash line of .253/.342/.414 at the plate in 2018 with 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 46 RBI.
What’s less enticing, however, is that Belt has a hard time staying healthy (played 112 games last year), and that he is owed $16 million annually over the next three years. Belt also has a partial no-trade clause in his contract, allowing him to block a trade to 10 teams that he specifies.