One thing we knew about this Boston Red Sox team going into the winter was that almost no one would be truly safe from trade speculation.
Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony were the two Red Sox to sign nine-figure extensions this year, so they were safe, as was closer Aroldis Chapman. Just about everyone else could be discussed if the price was right, even if a trade was far from the most likely outcome.
After surviving nearly two months into the official Major League Baseball offseason, a new Red Sox player was named in a report on trade discussions for the first time all winter.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
Where does Brayan Bello’s market stand?
According to Ken Rosenthal and Brayan Bello of The Athletic, starting pitcher Brayan Bello’s name has come up in trade talks this winter, and a rival executive gave an account of where Bello’s market stood that a source on the Boston side shut down.
“A rival executive said Monday the Red Sox have ‘quietly shopped’ right-hander Brayan Bello, a characterization a person briefed on Boston’s conversations disputed,” wrote Rosenthal and McCaffrey. “That person, however, said Bello’s name often surfaces when teams ask about the Red Sox’s young pitching.
“(Bello’s) contract adds to his appeal, but he has yet to quite reach his potential. His 3.35 ERA over 166 2/3 innings last season was encouraging. But teams are more apt to look at his expected ERAs — 4.56 in 2024, 4.52 in 2025 — as a better reflection of his performance.”
Bello is set to be paid $50.5 million over the next four seasons, including a $1 million buyout on a $21 million club option for 2031. He pitched like a No. 2 starter at times this year, but the fact that he was pulled in the third inning of his playoff start against the New York Yankees, following a rough September, confirmed that the Red Sox didn’t fully see him that way yet. Then, the club went out and traded for Sonny Gray.
The likelihood of Bello being traded is probably fairly slim, but if he were to move, it would likely either be to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a blockbuster package for Ketel Marte, or in a similar package to land an upgraded No. 2 arm.
Such pitchers who have been connected to the Red Sox this winter include Freddy Peralta, Cole Ragans, and Joe Ryan.
More MLB: Red Sox Address Triston Casas’ Future After Trading For Star 1st Baseman