The Boston Red Sox and right-handed starter Brayan Bello agreed to a six-year, $55 million contract extension, according to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com. There had been rumblings that the deal was in the works earlier in the week. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe mentioned that both sides were in “advanced talks” on a long-term extension. Boston is hoping that Bello’s promising 2023 campaign signals that he is turning the corner and ready to become a star pitcher. With Chris Sale no longer on the team and Lucas Giolito in danger of undergoing season-ending surgery, the 24-year-old is on target to be a key anchor in Boston’s rotation, perhaps sooner than he anticipated.
Right-hander Brayan Bello and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a six-year, $55 million contract extension that includes a seventh-year club option for $21 million, sources tell ESPN.
The Sox lock up the 24-year-old into the 2030s.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 7, 2024
Red Sox Extend Brayan Bello for Six More Years
The Red Sox have seen promise in Bello for several years now. He was first signed to the club in 2017 as an international free agent. A native of Samana in the Dominican Republic, Bello started his tenure in the Red Sox with their Dominican Summer League and Gulf Coast League squads in 2018. He then worked his way up the minor league ladder, and in 2022 he showcased his presence in a major way. With the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, Bello tossed a 7-inning no-hitter against the Reading Fightin Phils. This drew the notice of the big league club, and he was promoted to Triple-A Worcester. Then, on July 4 of that year, Bello was promoted to the Red Sox.
It was not an easy transition to the big leagues for Bello, at least record-wise. He joined the Sox during a rough season, which did him no favors. In 13 games (11 starts) in 2022, Bello had a record of 2-8 with a 4.71 ERA, although he did record 55 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings. In 2023 came a bigger workload, and Bello started coming into his own as a result. He lowered his ERA to 4.24 and went 12-11 with 132 strikeouts in 157 innings. If his numbers continue improving season by season, the Red Sox may have a franchise pitcher on their hands in short order. This extension is a huge first step in that process.
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