Report: Red Sox, Brayan Bello agree to $55 million long-term contract extension
The Red Sox now have Bello under contract into the next decade.
Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello has agreed to a contract extension worth $55 million over six years, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
The Red Sox will also have a seventh-year club option worth $21 million, according to McDaniel.
“The sixth year of Bello’s deal covers what would’ve been his first year of free agency, with the club option covering a potential second,” wrote McDaniel.
The 24-year-old right-hander went 14-19 with a 4.37 ERA over two seasons in Boston.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told Julian McWilliams and Alex Speier of The Boston Globe on Wednesday that he’s excited for Bello’s future.
“He’s an exciting, young starting pitcher that was acquired and developed internally. I think he embodies exactly what we’re trying to do,” Breslow said. “We still think that his best years are ahead of him. We recognize some opportunities to further optimize the repertoire and we’re super excited about having him.”
Bello has the potential to be a top-end starter and is a candidate to start on Opening Day, Speier and McWilliams wrote.
The Red Sox signed Bello in 2017, and he rose the ranks of Boston’s farm system before making his major league debut in 2022.
Bello has a big believer in Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez, whom he’s been working with. Martinez told reporters last August that Bello is a special talent worth nurturing.
“I think the path for Brayan Bello so far is just beautiful,” Martinez said. “I just hope we don’t jinx it or take the wrong steps towards guiding this kid.”
“He’s a really young, talented kid who I’m bold enough to say he has the opportunity to become better than I was,” Martinez said. “That’s a lot to say, and a lot of pressure for a young kid, but he has the talent and I recognize talent.”
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