February 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nTolle threw nine four-seamers, three sinkers, three curveballs, two changeups, two cutters, and one slider. Of his two swings and misses, one was on a sinker, and the other was off a cutter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a process,\u201d Tolle said of his offseason to reporters. \u201cChangeups, curveballs, adding the sinker in there. Trying to prioritize those and really hammer in having things that are going to protect the fastball. So that\u2019s going to be the big thing this year \u2014 trying to execute those along with executing the fastballs where I need to execute them. I\u2019m excited about where I\u2019m at with my stuff. Obviously, you can keep getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tolle is looking to secure a spot in the back of the rotation behind Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Ranger Su\u00e1rez, and Brayan Bello, who are all locked into spots. His competition for the No. 5 spot in the rotation includes Johan Oviedo, who the Sox acquired from the Pirates in the offseason; Kutter Crawford, who is coming off a washed-out 2025 season; and fellow southpaws Connelly Early\u00a0and\u00a0Patrick Sandoval.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to view it as a competition, just because that\u2019s how we\u2019re going to make each other better,\u201d Tolle said. \u201cWhether that\u2019s with Kutter (Crawford) or Connelly (Early) or (Patrick) Sandoval, whoever it is, we\u2019re all fighting for that fifth spot, and in the long run, that\u2019s going to make us better.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody wants to be part of a starting five, so I\u2019ll just try to do what I can, day after day. It\u2019s a process that\u2019s fun to be part of, and I think that\u2019s what makes everybody better.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Tolle is going to be effective in the majors, he\u2019s going to need to utilize his secondary pitches better, and his first spring outing was a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t feel like I had the (two-strike) kill that I wanted to,\u201d said Tolle, who allowed a solo homer to Royce Lewis in the first inning before tossing a scoreless second. \u201cI attacked the zone and had more feel for curveballs and changeups. I got ahead, but then I need to execute better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tolle worked out at a facility in Oklahoma City called \u201cPitchingWRX,\u201d where all the required technology \u2014 plus some tutelage from the coaches there \u2014 let him know his progress in real time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started off with having bad misses,\u201d Tolle said. \u201cI was pitching the changeup arm-side, yanking a curveball way down, floating a curveball. Now I\u2019m to the point where I can diagnose my misses. If I push a changeup too high, I can now make the adjustment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bello checked into camp at 205 pounds, the same weight he was last season, but looks bigger, having added muscle over the winter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel the same,\u201d the right-hander said. \u201cMaybe a little stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bello, 26, is coming off a strong season in which he posted a 3.35 ERA while logging a career-high 166 2\/3 innings. His 2025 campaign included a brief stint on the injured list due to right shoulder soreness, but once healthy, the right-hander showed extended flashes of effectiveness. From mid-June through August, Bello was dominant, posting a 2.42 ERA and 3.80 FIP while striking out 71 batters and walking just 22 over 14 starts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nine of those hits left the yard, but despite the modest strikeout totals, Bello remained effective by limiting damage and keeping his FIP under 4.00. That stretch included a July 8 complete game against Colorado, when Bello struck out 10 batters while allowing just one walk and five hits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, Bello\u2019s postseason performance raised legitimate questions. In Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium, he struggled under the bright lights following Boston\u2019s Game 1 win and a dominant outing from Crochet.<\/p>\n
In his first career postseason start, Bello cracked, lasting just 2 1\/3 innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits and a walk. He did not record a strikeout. The right-hander ran into trouble immediately, surrendering a first-inning home run to Ben Rice, and threw only 28 pitches before Alex Cora turned to the bullpen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The outing was particularly surprising given<\/p>\n