The Boston Red Sox have quietly built a roster that is very close to being a World Series contender through the offseason. Most of that work has been done on the pitching front, where the Sox currently have an embarrassment of riches that other teams would kill to have.
As of Jan. 30, Boston has 10 pitchers who could realistically start the season in the starting rotation. Of those 10, only three are locked into their spots: Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, and Sonny Gray. In the mix for the four and five spots in the rotation are Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, Johan Oviedo, Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, and Kyle Harrison.
The latter three are longshots, as each likely need more time to develop in the minors though they all have MLB experience.
So, Bello, Crawford, Sandoval, and Oviedo become the four guys in the mix for two spots. To a lot of fans, there’s an obvious answer to this dilemma: trade one of them for a player to fill one of your weak spots on the roster, second base.
Red Sox Acquire Nico Hoerner for Brayan Bello in Proposed Trade
One-for-one trades have become increasingly rare in the MLB as team payrolls continue to increase and organizations take more stock in depth vs. top end talent. But this one seems like it should be a no-brainer for both sides.
The proposal is simple: Brayan Bello to the Cubs and second baseman Nico Hoerner to the Red Sox.
On the Red Sox side, the trade makes perfect sense: you have an abundance of wealth at SP and Bello has proven that his ceiling is a low-end No. 2 guy or a high-end No. 3 or 4. Now that the top three spots are filled in the rotation and Boston has veteran depth and young prospect potential with half a dozen other guys, moving on from Bello while his value is high makes all the sense in the world.
Boston has struggled to find an everyday second baseman for a number of years, and this could finally be the answer. Hoerner is one of the best defensive second basemen in the league, and his offensive versatility as a base hit machine and base running threat make him a great candidate to fill out several needs for the Red Sox. He finished the 2025 season with a batting average of .297, 61 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. He also had the sixth best defensive WAR in the MLB.
Chicago also has a World Series contending team, though their weakness is at SP. Bello would slot in perfectly alongside Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton in their top three.
Hoerner has been a valuable piece for them, but with the acquisition of Alex Bregman and retaining their rising star Matt Shaw, they don’t necessarily need Hoerner anymore, especially if they could get a solid starter in return for him.
Bello for Hoerner: The Money Aspect
Where there could be concern for Boston Red Sox general manager Craig Breslow is in the contracts of these players. Bello is still under team control through the 2030 season, while Hoerner will be a UFA after the 2026 season.
But, if the Red Sox can convince Chicago to take on Bello’s contract (which is pretty team friendly at less than $10 million AAV) they’re getting a rotation staple for five years, while Boston is able to shed some money to offer Hoerner a long-term extension.
Are there kinks to work out in this trade? Sure, there always are. But if Breslow wants to build a legitimate juggernaut, this is a slam dunk move that improves both teams and makes Boston complete at essentially every position on the roster.
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