The San Francisco Giants know how to lock up their young players before they are set to earn a whole host of cash in free agency.
They have done so with Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Madison Bumgarner in the past.
Now comes this report from CSN Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic indicating that the team has signed first baseman Brandon Belt to a five-year extension.
While the terms of the deal are not yet known, Pavlovic indicates that it’s worth more than the six-year, $75 million extension Crawford signed with the Giants back in November.
Belt, 27, is coming off a career-best 2015 campaign that saw him hit .280 with 18 homers and 68 RBI while posting a solid .356 on-base percentage.
A studly defensive performer, Belt’s importance to the Giants cannot be overstated. Locking him up before free agency was a wise move.