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The push for Brandon Belt to break camp with the Giants is on

San Francisco Giants Photo Day

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 23: Brandon Belt #9 of the San Francisco Giants poses for a portrait during media photo day at Scottsdale Stadium on February 23, 2011 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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As I sit here today I will still be rather surprised if the Giants don’t send first base prospect Brandon Belt down to Fresno to start the year, but that hasn’t stopped the Bay Area press from beating the drum for Belt. Here’s the Chronicle: “After Brandon Belt’s big day, where does he start?” Here’s the Merc: “Belt’s bat making a convincing argument.”

The Giants have Aubrey Huff on a new contract at first and veteran Pat Burrell in left field. For Belt to make the team, then, it requires either benching one of them or making Belt a backup, and neither of those seem likely at the moment. Add in the whole service time thing -- keeping Belt down a couple of months could by the Giants another year of control -- and the fact that even Buster Posey couldn’t break camp with the team when he was being blocked by lesser players, and you get the sense that it isn’t in the cards.

But boy howdy, if Pat Burrell doesn’t hit coming out of the gate ...