The Boston Red Sox appear close to locking up a piece of their prized young core.
Right-hander Brayan Bello is in "advanced talks" with the club on a long-term contract extension, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported on Wednesday. The deal would keep Bello in Boston beyond 2028.
As for what the extension could look like, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald cited an industry source who used Cincinnati Reds hurler Hunter Greene and Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider's deals as benchmarks. Greene signed a six-year, $53 million extension last April and Strider inked his six-year, $75 million contract in Oct. 2022.
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Bello, a 24-year-old Dominican Republic native, is coming off his first full big-league season. The former top pitching prospect in the Red Sox organization posted a 4.24 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 132 strikeouts and 45 walks through 28 starts (157 innings).
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With offseason addition Lucas Giolito likely to miss the 2024 season, Bello is the frontrunner to be Boston's Opening Day starter. Following him in the projected rotation are Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck.
Along with Bello, slugging first baseman Triston Casas is a candidate for an extension as the Red Sox look to build around their young talent. From there, the organization will hope its highly-touted prospect trio of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel lives up to lofty expectations.