Throughout the month of May so far, the Red Sox pitching staff has been superb. In the month of May (up until the 19th), Boston pitchers have achieved a 2.63 ERA and held opponents to a .216 batting average. Team ace Garrett Crochet has been inactive all month with left shoulder issues, but there’s been other pitchers carrying the team, namely Sonny Gray and Payton Tolle, who’ve both had multiple wins this month. There has been, however, one glaring issue with this rotation.
What Should The Red Sox Do with Brayan Bello?
Brayan Bello, the number five pitcher in the rotation, recently started in Atlanta against the Braves on Sunday. After letting up a three run homer to Austin Riley in the first inning, it just went downhill from there. Bello would go five innings, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits and three walks. The Red Sox were too far behind that they would end up losing 8-1.
Now, benefit of the doubt here, Atlanta was the best team in baseball at the time (currently, they’re tied with the Tampa Bay Rays). But this one start has been just a continuation of a disappointing season with Bello this season. Bello threw 30 pitches in the first inning on Sunday. He had 58 by the end of the second. These are concerning numbers from someone who’s considered a veteran on this team in terms of MLB experience. Throw in his 7.16 ERA in the mix and it’s a disastrous look on him. With Crochet coming back soon, there’s really only two options for him.
Move To Bullpen
Now this may sound weird, but it’s worth a try. In Bello’s 109 career appearances, he has only come out of the bullpen in five of them. Two in 2022, one in 2025, and two games where an opener was used this season. Here are the stat lines:
- 7/29/2022: 4.1 innings (3-7), four hits, two earned runs, 3/1 BB/K, L
- 8/3/2022: 0.2 innings (fourth inning) two hits, no ER, 0/2 BB/K, ND
- 7/1/2025: Five Innings (4-8), one hit, two ER, 1/3 BB/K, W
- 5/5/2026: Seven Innings (2-8), four hits, one ER, 1/7 BB/K, W
- 5/12/2026: 6.1 innings (2-8), four hits, one ER, 1/5 BB/K, ND
While it is limited, Bello’s time in a bullpen role (or with an opener) has been successful. In fact, this season has proven that he’s better off not pitching at the start. In the seven appearances where he started in the first inning, he threw an average of 23 pitches in the first per start. In addition, he’s been much better statistically when not opening the game this season.
Brayan Bello 2026
as starter = 7 G, 30.2 IP, 7.38 ERA, 11 K% / 11 BB%
as bulk follower = 2 G, 13.1 IP, 1.35 ERA, 24 K% / 4 BB%— Foolish Baseball (@FoolishBB) May 18, 2026
When Crochet comes back, should Boston choose to keep him at the major league level (which is very likely), they should experiment with him out of the bullpen. It seems strange for a starter, but it’s happened several times before in baseball.
Possible Trade
There is always the possible trade route as well. While the Red Sox may want to keep Bello long term, given the team-friendly contract and Gray’s contract coming to a close this year, there’s other needs for this team to be addressed. In Bello’s case, he may only be making a little over six million this year, but come 2028, he’ll be making upwards of 16 million with one year remaining plus a club option. He’s also just turned 27, so it’s still possible that a new system could turn him around. If the lineup continues to struggle, it might be worth looking into a Bello trade.
A popular one thrown in the mix is for Washington Nationals infielder CJ Abrams. The Red Sox were linked to him this offseason as a potential destination in a trade, but no such deal was made then. Should Trevor Story’s sports hernia injury require surgery, Abrams could be a name to look at for a potential trade (tied in with some prospects of course).
The Last Word
It’s always possible that a minor league stint is possible short term. But with a veteran of his caliber, who’s also not injured, it’s less likely that this happens. The chances aren’t zero, but realistically, a bullpen role or new team could suit him. Bello’s next projected start is May 23rd against the Minnesota Twins. That start as well as Crochet’s return could decide his place with the team.
Main Photo Credits: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
