While appearing on an episode of the Foul Territory podcast Thursday, Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter/first baseman Brandon Belt said that he is contemplating retirement at the end of the 2023 season.
The 13-year MLB veteran, who signed with the Blue Jays in the off-season on a one-year, $9.3-million contract, was asked about his pending free agency.
"I think I might have a few more options next year, but I am getting on up there in age, so it might turn a lot of people off, but I'm still trying to figure out kinda what I want to do," Belt said. "I'm 35 this year. I got two boys that are getting older, and it's getting tougher on all of us when I'm gone all the time.
"This something I gotta take into consideration and figure out whether I want to keep going or go home and be with my family."
After undergoing knee surgery that ended his 2022 season, Belt has become a force in the middle of the Blue Jays' lineup in 2023, slashing .250/.369/.465 in 94 games with 15 home runs and a 130 OPS+.
He has been especially effective after struggling in April, posting a .901 OPS since May 1.
"I think physically and mentally, as far as baseball goes, I got a lot left in the tank," he told former all-star Adam Jones. "I feel like I can go a few more years and play good, productive baseball. I feel like I can be competitive.
"I think that's the tough part that every ballplayer has to come to at some point is the choice of whether you want to keep playing or retire, but we're all competitors when it comes down to it, and it's hard to stop competing when you know you can compete at the highest level."
After being selected in the fifth round of the 2009 draft by the Giants, Belt went on to play 12 major-league seasons with San Francisco, where he was a part of two World Series-winning teams. He has appeared in 1,404 career games while hitting .260/.357/.458 with 190 home runs. He made one all-star appearance in 2016 and received MVP votes in 2020.
Belt later talked about being able to spend more time with his family as a driving factor in his decision, despite still enjoying the game.
"When you think about your family and how tough it's been on them and how tough it's been on me over the past couple years to be away from them, that definitely takes a toll," he said. "As far as baseball goes, I love the game, I love playing baseball, I love being on the field, it's a lot of the other stuff I get tired of.
"The travelling, being at the field for hours and hours and hours at a time, being away from the family, so there's a lot of stuff I gotta consider this off-season. I'm just not sure where I'm headed yet."
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