Boston Red Sox starter Brayan Bello turned 27 on Sunday. What did he get for his birthday? A chance to take the ball against the best team in MLB, the Atlanta Braves, who hit Bello around for seven earned runs on eight hits in five innings.
Over Bello’s last five starts, he’s allowed 21 earned runs over 25.1 innings pitched. His ERA on the season sits at 7.16 in 44 innings. Yikes, those are ugly numbers.
Bello had put together two quality starts before the Braves outing on Sunday, but Bello’s pWAR this season is already -1.3, and he’s made just seven starts. So, what do the Red Sox need to do with Brayan Bello?
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What Should the Red Sox Do with Brayan Bello?
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 17: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox returns to the dugout following the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Brayan Bello is under a six-year, $55 million contract that runs through the 2029 season, but for how much longer can the struggling Red Sox afford to keep sending Bello out to the mound to pitch every fifth day?
This leaves Boston at a clear crossroads. The Red Sox can do one of three things with their 27-year-old starter. 1. Trade him (which will be hard given his contract status and lack of production this season) 2. Option him to Triple-A so he can work on some mechanical tweaks and work on getting back on track, or 3. Designate Brayan Bello for assignment, which would be a disaster because it acts as if he’s being released, and that would be a lot of dead money the Red Sox would owe.
So, which of these options feels most likely? Trading Bello might be the best (and difficult) choice for the Red Sox to make. It would be admitting that the contract extension was a bd move by the front office, but at least the Red Sox might be able to get some prospect capital in return for Bello, and a potential suitor that might be willing to take on some of his contract.
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Brayan Bello’s MLB Career
GettyST LOUIS, MISSOURI – APRIL 12: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on April 12, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)
Brayan Bello is a five-year MLB pitcher. Before this season, he had actually shown a good amout of flashes of being a successful starter.
Over 166+ innings last season, Bello posted an ERA of 3.35 in 28 starts.
In 109 career games pitched (104 starts), Brayan Bello has an ERA of 4.32 with 494 strikeouts in 587+ innings.
The Red Sox will likely continue to run Brayan Bello out every fifth day for now, but you have to think if his ERA doesn’t improve within the next move, Boston will be forced to make a difficult decision with one of the pitchers they’ve committed to financially for the long haul.
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It’s Time for the Boston Red Sox to Make A Difficult Decision with Brayan Bello