SF Giants should hand out one-day contract for cornerstone player to retire with the club

The Chicago Cubs are set to honor Anthony Rizzo, as he will retire with the Cubs, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The SF Giants should replicate this for one of their own players from the championship era - Brandon Belt.

SF Giants should hand out one-day contract for cornerstone player to retire with the club

The Giants are so good at these ceremonies. In one way or the other, they have celebrated nearly every core player from the championship era with a final send off.

Those send offs range from Matt Cain getting one more start in front of the home crowd to Tim Lincecum joining Bruce Bochy's retirement ceremony. The send off typically reflects the player involved.

Madison Bumgarner got a more subtle send off last year after coming to San Francisco for the 10-year anniversary of the 2014 title. Bumgarner has not announced his retirement, but he also has not thrown a pitch in the majors since early in the 2023 season.

Brandon Belt is in a similar boat. He has not appeared in a game since a strong, one-year run with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. The veteran first baseman expressed interest in continuing his playing career, but the right offer never came to fruition.

The longtime Giants first baseman had somewhat of an unceremonious end to his time in San Francisco. He sustained a knee injury near the end of the 2022 season, and finished the year on the injured list. This effectively ended his 12-year run with the Giants.

While Belt became something of a polarizing figure, he was undoubtedly a cornerstone player with the club for two World Series runs. Perhaps, his vintage moment came in the 18th inning of Game 2 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals in 2014. He blasted a solo shot to give the Giants a 2-1 lead against Washington, who were seen as the favorites heading into that series. If not for his heroics, the Giants might still be playing that game!

During his time, Belt won two World Series rings, earned one NL All-Star nod, and was one of the most disicplined hitters of his era. At times, that discipline frustrated the fans and the coaching staff, but he was uncompromising in his approach and that led to a long and fruitful career in the majors.

In one way or the other, the Giants have found a way to honor every key members of the championship run. Unfortunately, Belt's opportunity for a final send off never came to fruition. His time with Toronto was brief, and he never got a chance to return to Oracle Park that season.

As the Chicago Cubs are doing with Anthony Rizzo, it would be nice for the Giants to close the chapter of that championship run with a final send off for Belt.

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