[DC 86]

Agree to disagree. Let him leave and use the bucks to sigh a FA first baseman.

Hmm, who do you have in mind?

There are only four other MLB first basemen scheduled to become free agents after this season who currently earn more $1,000,000 per year: Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rizzo, Mitch Moreland and Travis Shaw.

Obviously Moreland and Shaw would be massive downgrades.

Freeman would be a substantial upgrade (younger and far more productive) but would also represent a significantly higher salary (and years) commitment.

Rizzo is also younger than Belt and has had a more productive career, although more recently over last year's abbreviated season and the first three months of this year Belt has been better.

It's probable that Rizzo reaches free agency and possible that Freeman reaches free agency. If only Rizzo reaches free agency then SF would be investing substantial FA capital in a marginal (or possibly) no upgrade at the position. If Freeman also reaches free agency then SF would be investing enormous FA capital in upgrading a position which is already fairly strong. It's an illogical strategy given many other positions which are higher priorities.

Of course this also presumes that Rizzo and/or Freeman would be interesting in signing with SF. It could be that they would only choose to come to the SF if the Giants bid substantially more than other teams that are closer to home or have homer-friendlier home parks, or it could be that other suitors with similar offers will be preferred for the same reasons. Even worse, the scarcity of 1B free agent options means that Rizzo and/or Freeman are sure to be massively overpaid, moreso if only Rizzo becomes a free agent.

Letting Belt go seems like a case of "careful what you wish for" where SF ends up with a short term Mitch Moreland type "aggressively" hitting 238/286/388 instead of Belt looking at some third strikes while hitting 253/363/512.

[DC 86]

Agree to disagree. Let him leave and use the bucks to sigh a FA first baseman.

Hmm, who do you have in mind?

There are only four other MLB first basemen scheduled to become free agents after this season who currently earn more $1,000,000 per year: Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rizzo, Mitch Moreland and Travis Shaw.

Obviously Moreland and Shaw would be massive downgrades.

Freeman would be a substantial upgrade (younger and far more productive) but would also represent a significantly higher salary (and years) commitment.

Rizzo is also younger than Belt and has had a more productive career, although more recently over last year's abbreviated season and the first three months of this year Belt has been better.

It's probable that Rizzo reaches free agency and possible that Freeman reaches free agency. If only Rizzo reaches free agency then SF would be investing substantial FA capital in a marginal (or possibly) no upgrade at the position. If Freeman also reaches free agency then SF would be investing enormous FA capital in upgrading a position which is already fairly strong. It's an illogical strategy given many other positions which are higher priorities.

Of course this also presumes that Rizzo and/or Freeman would be interesting in signing with SF. It could be that they would only choose to come to the SF if the Giants bid substantially more than other teams that are closer to home or have homer-friendlier home parks, or it could be that other suitors with similar offers will be preferred for the same reasons. Even worse, the scarcity of 1B free agent options means that Rizzo and/or Freeman are sure to be massively overpaid, moreso if only Rizzo becomes a free agent.

Letting Belt go seems like a case of "careful what you wish for" where SF ends up with a short term Mitch Moreland type "aggressively" hitting 238/286/388 instead of Belt looking at some third strikes while hitting 253/363/512.