The San Francisco Giants and first baseman Brandon Belt have reached an agreement on a six-year contract through 2021, club Senior Vice President and General Manager Bobby Evans announced today. The deal covers his two remaining years of arbitration and four years of free agency. Per club policy, financial terms were not disclosed.
Belt has gone 5-for-18 (.278) with three doubles and four walks in his first five games this season. Last year he was a Gold Glove finalist (finished second) and ranked first among NL first basemen in fielding percentage (.997). He hit .280 with a career-best 18 home runs in 137 games and among team leaders was tied for first in doubles (33), tied for first in slugging percentage (.478), second in extra base hits (56) and second in OPS (.834).
Belt has had an on-base percentage of .356 or better in three of his last four seasons (not including 2016). Since 2012, the only first basemen with a better on-base percentage over that span than Belt's .355 figure has been Joey Votto (.443), Paul Goldschmidt (.402), Prince Fielder (.390), Freddie Freeman (.373), Edwin Encarnacion (.363) and Anthony Rizzo (.362).
The Nacogdoches, Texas native has spent his first six seasons in a Giants uniform and has batted .271 with 116 doubles, 16 triples, 63 home runs and 237 RBI in 561 games.
He's won two World Series rings in 2012 and 2014 and his 32 career postseason games as a first baseman are the most in Giants franchise history. Belt had one of the most dramatic home runs in Giants postseason history with his solo home run in the 18th inning in Game Two of the 2014 National League Division Series at Washington to give the Giants a 2-1 victory.