Red Sox betting Bello has what it takes
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Pitching is an art and one of its greatest masters, Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, believes
Brayan Bello has the ability and aptitude to be a star.
On the science side, analysts will tell you Bello exhibits many of the same characteristics as Giants ace Logan Webb, who finished second in the National League Cy Young voting last season.
Bello’s performance on the field last season lent credence to both of those opinions, and on Thursday the Red Sox placed their bet by agreeing to a six-year, $55 million contract extension with the 24-year-old righthander.
The deal, which includes a $21 million team option for a seventh year, will be formally announced on Saturday afternoon while the Red Sox are in the Dominican Republic to play a two-game exhibition series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Bello is a native of the DR and this will allow his family to share in the celebration.
Every extension for a pitcher is a risk and this contract is no exception. Bello is 14-19 with a 4.37 earned run average for two last-place teams since making his debut in 2022.
He’s been generally good, occasionally excellent, and had a few stink bombs mixed in over his 39 career starts.
There’s also no way of knowing how $55 million will change Bello, only that it’s sure to in some way. It could make him work even harder to bring the next championship to Boston. Or he could see the contract as the culmination of his dreams and sit back and relax.
That Bello reported to Fenway South three weeks before the deadline for pitchers and catchers suggests there’s a strong inner drive at play.
Bello showed up early determined to
show the organization he was serious about becoming one of the best pitchers in the game.
“It allowed me to focus on my goals and what I need to do to get ready,” he said.
Bello also added size and strength to his thin frame in the offseason and made regular visits to the team’s prospect academy in the DR to work with the coaches there.
Bello hopes to start on Opening Day in Seattle. The Sox claim they haven’t made that decision yet, but you generally don’t toss $55 million at No. 2 starters. Even had Lucas Giolito not injured his right elbow last week, Bello likely would have been the choice.
However it works out, Bello’s extension will be remembered as a big decision for new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, who was hired for his expertise in pitching and experience as a Red Sox player.
The Sox haven’t given a homegrown starter a deal like this since early in the 2011 season, when Clay Buchholz agreed to a four-year, $29.9 million deal.
After an oddly passive offseason, signing Bello signals that Fenway Sports Group hasn’t forgotten about its baseball team.
But much work remains to be done.
Garrett Whitlock is under contract through 2026 but hasn’t proven he belongs in the rotation.
Giolito, who was signed for two years and $38.5 million, is likely lost for this season and perhaps some of 2025.
Bello represents the first step in what Breslow hopes will be a stream of above-average pitchers coming through the organization. For now, the rotation remains a weakness.
Manager Alex Cora, who has lived through Bello’s ups and downs, sees the right attributes in place for him to become an ace.
“Just the baseball IQ. He can make adjustments on the fly,” Cora said. “He knows what he needs to do to get better and he wants to be great . . . He’s still a kid but a very mature kid. We trust this guy.”
That trust will come in the form of some big checks in the coming years. After years of failing to develop a starter, the Sox are counting on Bello to end their losing streak.
Bello kept a poker face pretty well when asked about his big day. But he couldn’t help but smile.
“I have to be happy,” Bello said. “There’s a lot of good things going on with me this year.”