Should the Royals call Brandon Belt?

The veteran could boost the lineup.

The Royals have gotten off to a good start, but the season is long, and there are cracks in the edifice. The Royals are scoring 4.60 runs-per-game, good for 14th-best in baseball, but the production has been inconsistent. In 16 of their 35 games, the Royals have scored three runs or less. The offensive deficiencies have been enough for my colleagues to write articles about how the Royals have a hitting problem, how the offense is in a precarious place, and how the team needs reinforcements.

While calling up a Drew Waters or Nick Loftin may prove to be an upgrade over the current roster, both are unproven Major League hitters. Waters has hit .231/.306/.402 in 446 plate appearances, and Loftin has played just 32 games in the big leagues. The Royals could seek to trade for another proven hitter the way the Padres did in acquiring Luis Arraez from the Marlins this week, but the Royals have few tradeable assets and may not want to sacrifice the future for a run this year.

But what if they could add a proven Major League hitter without giving up anything more than money? Brandon Belt hit .254/.369/.490 with 19 home runs in 103 games last year, but is still sitting at home into May, having gone unsigned as a free agent all off-season. Could he be a solution for the Royals?

Royals fans may be familiar with Belt from when he started for the 2014 San Francisco Giants that faced off against Kansas City in the World Series. Since then, he has enjoyed a 13-year career as a left-handed bat with a terrific 12.3 percent walk rate and average power. Even into his 30s he has continued to be a productive bat. Over the past four seasons he has hit .258/.369/.503, although he has missed time due to injury and did have a down year in 2022. His barrel rate is still excellent, his hard-hit rate last year was near league-average, and he is one of the most patient hitters in the big leagues.

So why is he sitting at home? He has few answers.

“I honestly haven’t had hardly any calls at all that have gone past the point of teams saying, ‘Hey, we’re interested. We’re just checking in.’ I wish I had an answer for you. I just don’t.”

One reason could be he’s a platoon bat who is pretty limited to first base. When I evaluated the chances of Nick Pratto making the team in spring training, I argued that another first baseman would be a difficult fit for the roster, with Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez getting most of the starts there, and Nelson Velázquez occupying DH much of the time.

But since then, Velázquez has played his way into a part-time role or even a demotion to the minors. The Royals have had an attitude of no longer waiting for players to turn the corner, so bringing in Belt would send a message about the urgency of winning now.

The lack of a bat that can be a threat off the bench has been glaring over the first month. Royals pinch-hitters are collectively hitting .194/.219/.258, with light-hitting Garrett Hampson getting the most plate appearances as a reserve. Belt would give Matt Quatraro another option to give the Royals a chance for late-game runs.

What would it cost? Belt just turned 36 and made $9.3 million last year with the Blue Jays. Last off-season, Fangraphs predicted he would get about the same amount, ranking him #29 among free agents. But with little interest up to this point, the price tag has certainly gone down. Tommy Pham, a similarly aged player with similar skills, signed with the White Sox in April for $3 million (he would have been a nice addition as well!)

Royals ownership is coming off a bruising loss at the ballot box and poor public relations over the campaign. A good start by the team has rehabilitated that a bit, but investing more resources to keep the team winning could help their image more.

The Royals are playing winning baseball, but they have flaws that can be addressed. Brandon Belt not only brings the experience of winning two titles that can help a young clubhouse, but he has demonstrated an ability to help an offense. And the Royals have an offense that could use some help.