Red Sox and Brayan Bello discussing contract extension
First it was Triston Casas telling the media that he has had contract extension talks with the Red Sox. Now it’s Brayan Bello’s turn, the right-hander told MassLive’s Chris Cotillo that he and team have had ongoing extension talks.
Bello told Cotillo that his agents have been “engaged in extension talks” with the Red Sox in recent weeks and that a deal could be close between the two sides.
When asked if a deal was close, Bello responded “mas o menos” — which translates to “more or less” or “maybe” in English.
Bello showing optimism on a longterm extension is refreshing since the Red Sox have failed to lock up some of their younger core players over the last couple of seasons. Rafael Devers agreed to a 10-year extension last offseason and Garrett Whitlock two years ago.
“They’ve been talking to my agents. The agents have been the ones dealing with the team,” Bello said. “I told them if we have a good offer to let me know. I’m still looking at everything that’s going on, but they’re the ones who have taken care of that for me.”
Bello isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2025 season and is not a free agent until 2028. Buying out Bello’s arbitration years and locking him to a team friendly deal will go a long way showing the players in the organization the overall philosophy is changing.
Could the Red Sox try and mirror an extension for Bello similar to what the Reds gave to Hunter Greene last season?
Greene and the Reds agreed to a six-year, $53 million extension that included a $21 million club option for 2029, and a $2 million buyout. The deal includes performance escalators that could see the deal reach more than $95 million in value.
If Boston gets a deal with Bello completed, they will be buying out his arbitration years similar to what the Reds did with Greene. The deal allows Greene to become a free agent in either his 29 or 30 age season and earn an additional big payday.
Most importantly the possible Bello deal shows a commitment from the organization that they truly value their young talent that they’ve developed within their program.
Since joining the big league club, Bello owns a 14-19 record with a 4.37 ERA over 214 1/3 innings. Last season he led the team in innings pitched with 157. He has been training with pitching legend Pedro Martinez and is expected to anchor the rotation alongside Lucas Giolito and Nick Pivetta this season.
Bello doesn’t know what his potential deal will look like if he signs it with the team. The conversations are ongoing but emphasized he is looking for something that’s beneficial for both sides.
“I don’t know. I guess it’s just not a lot of years but something that’ll be beneficial for both of us, for me and the team,” he said. “I don’t know what that’ll look like.”
