PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 01: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammates after the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in Game Five to win the World Series at Chase Field on November 01, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Texas Rangers Have Reportedly Had “Internal Discussions” About Former All-Star
According to ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney, the World Champion Texas Rangers have reportedly had “internal discussions” about free agent first baseman Brandon Belt.
From Olney’s piece on ESPN Plus:
The Rangers have had internal conversations about Belt, who played for Texas manager Bruce Bochy in San Francisco. On paper, Belt would seem to be a perfect fit for Texas, in effect replacing Garver in their lineup, but the question hovering over the Rangers all winter has been how much cash general manager Chris Young has available.
That’s a big point, as the Rangers are still waiting for a resolution on their television contract for 2024 and beyond. Several teams, including the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins, have been faced with television revenue questions this offseason.
The 35-year-old Belt is a Texas native who has spent 13 years in the big leagues with the Giants and Blue Jays. He played for San Francisco for 12 years, helping them win two World Series titles, and could help Texas at first base or designated hitter.
Lifetime, he’s a .261 hitter with a .357 on-base percentage. He had a .369 on-base percentage in Toronto in 2023, while also hitting 19 homers.
Belt’s best season came in 2015 when he hit .280 and had 18 home runs. He also hit a career-high 29 homers in the 2021 season, but he only had 59 RBI.
If the Rangers are able to add Belt, they will continue to have one of the best lineups in baseball, centered around Corey Seager, Marcus Semine, Evan Carter, Josh Jung and Nate Lowe.
