With the offseason winding down and Spring Training around the corner, the San Diego Padres are running out of time to replace their starter who left in free agency, Dylan Cease. However, there might be one move that can replace him with the time they have left.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly proposes that the Padres make a deal with the Boston Red Sox, and trade for their rising star ace, Brayan Bello. Bello is under a cost-effective deal, and has really come into his own during the 2025 season.
“The Padres are the exact type of team that makes sense for Bello because they need a No. 3 for 2026 to go behind Michael King and Nick Pivetta, while also alleviating pressure on Joe Musgrove in his return after missing all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Bello also would give the Padres some long-term stability in their rotation, which would likely be appealing to president of baseball operations A.J. Preller considering both King and Pivetta can opt out and become free agents after the 2026 campaign,” Kelly wrote.
This past season, Bello posted an 11-9 record, a 3.35 ERA, 124 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.236 over 166 innings pitched. This was a breakout season for him, and for a solid third of the season, he was one of the better pitchers in baseball.
And, as mentioned, he would be cost-effective. He’s currently on year three of a six-year, $55 million deal with a club option for 2030, and that could be really nice for a money-conscious Padres team.
Hopefully, the Padres consider this trade, as their time is running out.
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