Blue Jays veteran star Brandon Belt mulls over future as third World Series pursuit ends in heartbreak - "This could be the end for me"

The 2023 season of the Toronto Blue Jays came to an end after being defeated 2-0 by the Minnesota Twins in the Wild Card Series.

Among many players, first baseman Brandon Belt was visibly upset when he spoke with MLB and expressed his uncertainty about staying with the Blue Jays following the loss.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do," he said. "This could be the end for me. I don’t know. I just don’t know yet. It’s something I need to talk to my family about and see what their thoughts are on it and see how I feel about it in a couple of months, then go from there.”

“From Day One to Day 162… MVP” - Brandon Belt NextLevel - Bluejays

According to reports, he thanked his teammates and the coaching staff wholeheartedly and was in complete gratitude towards everyone.

Brandon Belt's baseball career

The 35-year-old began his professional career with the San Jose High-A Giants club, for whom he was named an All-Star mid-season. He received the Baseball America Minor League All-Star and MiLB Organization All-Star awards in 2010.

Prior to the 2011 season, he was listed as the third-best first baseman prospect on MLB.com. In terms of prospects overall, MLB.com ranked him as the 26th-best prospect.

Belt was part of the Giants' World Series championship campaign in 2012, earning his first World Series ring in the process. In 2013, Belt received the National League Player of the Week award. He was chosen for his first All-Star Game after taking first place in the 2016 National League All-Star Final Vote. Belt agreed to a five-year, $72.8 million contract with the Giants prior to the 2017 season.

He was a free agent following the 2021 season, but he chose to stay with the Giants for an additional year by accepting their $18.4 million qualifying offer. In 2023, Brandon Belt agreed to a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays worth $9.3 million.