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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Brandon Belt: Baffled by free agency
Speaking on the "JD Bunkis Podcast" on March 29, Brandon Belt revealed that he hasn't received many calls from teams interested in signing him for the 2024 season, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.Belt noted that he had a far easier time fielding interest following the 2022 season when he was limited to just 78 games due to issues in his right knee. He signed a one-year, $9.3 million contract with the Blue Jays in January of 2023 and went on to slash .254/.369/.490 with 19 home runs and 43 RBI over 404 plate appearances while appearing in 103 games last season. Baggarly notes that the Mets have been the only team to offer Belt a guaranteed contract -- though it was almost entirely incentive-based -- and that other teams considered him a fallback option.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Brandon Belt: Plans to play in 2024
Brandon Belt said he isn't retiring and will "definitely" play in 2024, Alex Pavlovic of The Athletic reports.The 35-year-old spent last season in Toronto and served as the club's primary designated hitter, and he enjoyed a resurgence in 103 games with an .859 OPS and 19 home runs. Belt made just 29 appearances at first base and isn't likely to play the field much more than that going forward given his age and injury history. There's still some competition in the free-agent DH market with veteran J.D. Martinez also unsigned early in spring training.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Blue Jays' Brandon Belt: In two hole again Wednesday
Brandon Belt is starting at designated hitter and batting second Wednesday in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Twins, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.The Toronto Blue Jays are rolling out the same lineup that they featured in Game 1 as they try to stave off elimination. That includes Belt in the two spot, which is where he hit in his final three starts of the regular season. For what it's worth, Belt is 0-for-8 with a 3:1 K:BB in nine career plate appearances versus Twins starter Sonny Gray.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Blue Jays' Brandon Belt: Homers again Sunday
Brandon Belt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 12-8 loss to the Rays.Belt's eighth inning home run was his third long ball over his last four games. Since May 4, the 35-year-old leads the Toronto Blue Jays with a .934 OPS and closes out the regular season with a strong slash line of .254/.369/.490 with 19 homers, 43 RBI, 53 runs and a 61:141 BB:K in 404 plate appearances. He'll figure to be in the lineup Tuesday when the Blue Jays open up the playoffs against Pablo Lopez and the Twins.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Blue Jays' Brandon Belt: Not in Saturday's lineup
Brandon Belt will sit Saturday against the Rays.Belt has homered on back-to-back days but will nonetheless head to the bench, potentially because the Toronto Blue Jays fear the Rays could turn to a lefty after opener Shawn Armstrong. George Springer will rest his legs as the designated hitter, with Cavan Biggio starting in right field.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Blue Jays' Brandon Belt: Goes yard again Friday
Brandon Belt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 11-4 win over the Rays.The veteran first baseman went yard for the second straight game, launching his 18th homer of the year in the fourth inning off Erasmo Ramirez. Belt missed most of September due to a stomach bug and back trouble, but he looks 100 percent as the Jays close in on a wild-card berth, going 4-for-14 in four games since returning to the lineup with three extra-base hits and four RBI.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Blue Jays' Brandon Belt: Blasts three-run homer
Brandon Belt went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 6-0 win over the Yankees.After missing two weeks with a back injury, it only took Belt three games to launch a home run, this time plating Daulton Varsho and George Springer on a three-run shot off Zach McAllister in the sixth inning. Through 100 games, Belt is slashing .252/.371/.477 with 17 home runs and an ugly 34.8 percent strikeout rate.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Blue Jays' Brandon Belt: Returns from injured list
Brandon Belt (back) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.The veteran slugger landed on the shelf Sept. 12 with back spasms just after missing the previous eight games due to an illness, but he's now ready to rejoin the Toronto Blue Jays for the final stretch of the regular season. Belt had a strong start to the second half with a .971 OPS in his first 30 games coming out of the All-Star break, but he was mired in a 3-for-18 slump prior to his move to the injured list.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Blue Jays' Brandon Belt: Resumes hitting
Brandon Belt (back) began a hitting progression Tuesday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.Manager John Schneider noted that Belt may be able to play in a rehab game with Triple-A Buffalo before the minor-league season ends, but it will depend on how quickly Belt is able to recover. The 35-year-old landed on the injured list Sept. 12 due to back spasms and should still be able to make it back to Toronto's lineup before the end of the season.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Blue Jays' Brandon Belt: Hits IL with back spasms
Toronto placed Brandon Belt on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with lumbar spine muscle spasms.Belt exited Monday's game against the Rangers with back spasms and it's serious enough that the Toronto Blue Jays will give him at least 10 days to get right. Spencer Horwitz is essentially taking on all of Belt's duties and is hitting cleanup Tuesday against Max Scherzer.