Red Sox ‘deep in talks’ with Brayan Bello on contract extension (report)
The Red Sox pitching staff took a major hit this week when it was announced that starter Lucas Giolito could miss the 2024 season with a UCL injury. While Boston will need to find additional depth for the coming season, they’re working on locking up a core young player.
According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, the Red Sox and Brayan Bello are in “advanced talks” on a long-term extension. If the deal is completed, Bello would remain with the Red Sox beyond the 2028 season.
Reports of Bello and the team having ongoing extension talks was first reported by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo at the end of February.
“They’ve been talking to my agents. The agents have been the ones dealing with the team,” Bello said Cotillo. “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.
The timing of the Bello extension appears to be aligning as the Red Sox are prepared to play the Rays in the Dominican Republic. Boston plays the Rays on Saturday and Sunday for a pair of Spring Training contests at Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
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 lead the rotation with Nick Pivetta this season.
