3 notable SF Giants who won’t be back and where they’ll sign

3) Giants free agent prediction: Brandon Belt will sign a minor league deal with the Astros

This year should be the final one for Brandon Belt in San Francisco. He has only ever known the Giants organization. After accepting a qualifying offer in the offseason following a productive 97 games for the team in 2021, his age caught with him. Belt is going to finish this year with some career lows and a lot of missed time.

Where does Belt end up? After debating if he would end up signing with a broadcast booth, there does seem to be one destination that could make some sense. The Texas native won’t be joining Pederson on the Rangers. Instead, it’s a minor league deal with the Houston Astros.

First baseman Yulieski Gurriel is older than Belt and also a free agent after this season. Trey Mancini hasn’t been nearly good enough for the Astros to retain him. Finally, there’s Michael Brantley who also hits free agency to help open up the DH spot even further.

Belt might be able to convince the Astros to give him a major league deal. However, it’s a minor league one that could make more sense for the organization. They shouldn’t put too much trust in Belt to be a legitimate starter at the major league level. Giving him a chance in spring training to show he can at least be a bench piece to play first base sometimes and even DH against righties could work.

Belt was a huge part of several Giants teams and could easily walk off into retirement with a pair of championships under his—don’t say it—belt! Why not go for one more with a team a little more local?