Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Key to a World Championship in 2014 is with Brandon Belt

Who wants to win another World Championship this year? Yeah, so do we. We know that the club has to pull all the stops if they want to hoist another Commissioner's Trophy in October. We also know that pitching wins championships. Since Brandon Belt was placed on the disabled list on May 10, the team has gone 11-5; and has a five-game lead on the Dodgers to own first place in the NL West, and owns the best record in the Major Leagues. Since Belt's absence, Michael Morse has demonstrated that he's a trusty worthy first baseman and an offensive threat late in the game. Since Belt's absence, Hector Sanchez has proven he can call and catch a great game and provide some clutch hitting. Since Belt's absence, Posey has been saved from catching on a regular basis and keeping his bat in the lineup on a daily basis. Since Belt's absence, we've seen the resurrection of Tyler Colvin - a talented hitter that lost his way, but has found his stroke in San Francisco.

All of this bears to ask, can this club improve, and where should we focus that improvement. If we agree that pitching wins championships, then we need another solid arm for our pitching staff. And in order to obtain any pitcher that can help us right away, we must be prepared to trade a young known commodity. There in lies where Brandon Belt can help us win another championship if we trade him and another prospect for another solid pitcher. Wouldn't you want Jeff Samardjiza from the Cubs? Wouldn't you want David Price from the Rays? Those type of arms could help win another title in October.

Another point is that Buster Posey is not going to play catcher forever, and we need to come to terms with that now. The opportunity to win championship will not come every year, and sometimes you need to give something in order to receive something - baseball's version of quid pro quo. It will be a tough pill to swallow if Belt is traded, but if that ensures another parade down Market Street in late October, we're all in.