Red Sox view Brayan Bello as ‘special case’ for possible contract extension
"He's a very hard worker, and he’s earned the respect of everybody here so he’s the kind we want to stick around obviously."
The Red Sox defeated the Athletics 7-0 on Monday. Boston has now won eight of its last nine games. Nick Pivetta pitched six scoreless innings out of the bullpen, setting a team record with 13 strikeouts as a reliever.
Tonight, the two teams meet again in Oakland at 9:40 p.m.
Brayan Bello and the possibility of a contract extension: One of the bright spots of the 2023 Red Sox pitching staff has undoubtedly been the development of Brayan Bello.
Bello, 24, is 7-5 with a 3.14 ERA through 15 starts this season. He’s been dominant at times, like when he took at no-hitter into the eighth inning recently against the Marlins.
Though the right-hander isn’t eligible for salary arbitration until 2027, it appears the Red Sox are interested in trying to work out a contract extension well before that time.
In a recent interview with Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero acknowledged that Bello is a player who the Red Sox may want to extend sooner rather than later.
“It’s all case-by-case, there’s no guidebook for it, but I think Brayan is a special case and we’ll make efforts to talk to him and his group,” Romero told McCaffrey.
“He’s basically done what he needs to do and what we would want of a young starting pitcher in this organization and he’s gone about it the right way,” Romero added. “He’s a great teammate and he’s improved the quality of his repertoire, he’s a very hard worker, and he’s earned the respect of everybody here so he’s the kind we want to stick around obviously.”
Bello, for his part, said that he doesn’t want to discuss anything while in-season, explaining that “I want to focus on finishing my season good so that good things can happen for me.”
Still, he isn’t against an eventual new deal in Boston.
“This is the organization that gave me a chance to be somebody so I’d love to stay here.”
Bello next takes the mound for the Red Sox on Wednesday in Oakland against the Athletics.
Trivia: Prior to Monday night, a Red Sox relief pitcher had recorded at least 10 strikeouts in a game only eight times. Two players in team history did it more than once. Can you name either of those pitchers?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: One was normally a starter, and earned a popular nickname because of the velocity of his fastball. He helped guide the Red Sox to World Series wins in 1912 and 1915. The other, who stood at 6-foot-6-inches tall, was a full-time reliever who earned a pair of All-Star appearances in the 1960s.
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Angels top the Yankees: Shohei Ohtani hit the game-tying home run, marking the occasion with a pronounced bat flip for effect. The Angels went on to win, 4-3.
Rain delay entertainment: The tarp monster struck yet again.
On this day: In 1975, Red Sox rookie Jim Rice smashed one of the longest home runs ever seen to that point at Fenway Park in a 9-3 win over the Royals. Striding to the plate in the bottom of the third inning, Rice clobbered a low fastball from Kansas City pitcher Steve Busby that carried over the flagpole in centerfield and out onto Ipswich Street.
Asked about where he thought the ball might have landed outside the ballpark, Busby quipped after the game that it might have left the commonwealth altogether.
“What do I think about the ball?” Busby replied. “I think that this morning the ball is on the New Hampshire tollroad somewhere.”
Daily highlight: Reds outfielder Jake Fraley sprinted in to make a nice catch before thunderstorms caused Monday’s game against the Giants to be suspended.
Trivia answer: Smoky Joe Wood, Dick Radatz
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