Boston Red Sox
“The Diamondbacks want young pitching in return.”
The Red Sox have been busy this offseason when it comes to acquiring starting pitching via trade — bolstering their rotation by bringing aboard arms like Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo.
But could Boston part with one of their more reliable starters this winter in order to bolster another area of the roster?
According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Red Sox have “quietly shopped” right-handed starter Brayan Bello.
Bello’s lack of swing-and-miss stuff might hinder his ceiling as a legitimate ace or No. 2 option in a starting rotation. But the righty’s age and favorable contract would make him a valuable asset for any team looking for a steady No. 3 starter for both 2026 and the foreseeable future.
The 26-year-old Bello is owed $50.5 million over the next four seasons, and has a $1 million buyout on a $21 million club option for 2030.
That current contract won’t break the bank for several clubs, especially if Bello continues to take steps forward in his development.
The 2025 campaign was Bello’s best in the big leagues. He sported an 11-9 record with a 3.35 ERA across 29 appearances (28 starts).
A sub-4.00 ERA for a starter just starting his prime years would be coveted by many teams, with a team like Arizona Diamondbacks reportedly on the prowl for young starting pitching this offseason.
Boston upgraded its lineup earlier this season by acquiring three-time All-Star Willson Contreras to slot in at first base. But the Red Sox are still missing at least another impact bat in the heart of their order, especially if the club can’t retain Alex Bregman in free agency.
Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte would stand as an intriguing option on the trade market, with Bello standing as a logical piece going back in what would be a sizable package put forward by Boston.
“The Diamondbacks want young pitching in return,” Ken Rosenthal said on “Foul Territory” Tuesday afternoon. “They aren’t going to trade [Marte], I believe, unless they get that young pitching. But he’s a guy that they are seemingly motivated to move because of that 10-and-5 rights that kick in with him.”
Dealing Bello this offseason would weaken Boston’s current rotation. But the Red Sox might also want to sell high on a righty whose lack of strikeouts (124 over 166.2 innings last year) and worrisome underlying numbers (4.52 expected ERA in 2025) could paint the picture of a player due for some regression in 2026.
Even if Boston was to flip a player like Bello as part of a return for a talent like Marte, the Red Sox could presumably add starting pitching later this offseason — especially if the team wanted to part ways with big-league talent like Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu in order to bring in another impact starter.
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