Blue Jays sign Belt to 1-year deal reportedly worth $9.3M

The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a one-year contract with veteran first baseman Brandon Belt, the club announced Tuesday.

The deal is worth $9.3 million, a source told Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic.

Toronto designated reliever Julian Merryweather for assignment to make room for Belt on the 40-man roster.

Belt's contract will take Toronto's payroll above the first competitive balance tax threshold, per Cot's Contracts.

The 2016 All-Star was limited to 78 games with the San Francisco Giants in 2022 due to persistent knee issues. He underwent surgery in September and is now back to full health, according to Slusser.

Belt's injury-plagued 2022 campaign came on the heels of a fantastic 2021 season that saw him hit .274/.378/.597 with a career-high 29 homers in only 97 games.

The 34-year-old will add another capable left-handed bat to help balance an overwhelmingly right-handed Blue Jays lineup, joining fellow newcomers Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier. A righty masher throughout his career, Belt's lifetime .840 OPS against right-handed pitching is nearly 100 points better than his mark against southpaws.

Manager John Schneider can slot Belt in at designated hitter against right-handed pitching, or when Alejandro Kirk is behind the plate. He can also spell Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base, where Belt has played solid defense throughout his career. Belt's played 89 career games in left field but last did so in 2019.

Belt is a lifetime .261/.356/.458 hitter with 175 home runs and 584 RBIs across 12 seasons with the Giants. He was a key member of San Francisco's 2012 and '14 World Series championship clubs, becoming known as a clubhouse leader during his tenure with the team.