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AL East Notes: Orioles, Red Sox, Hernandez, Jansen, Torres, Cortes

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2023 at 7:09pm CDT

The Orioles’ 5-3 victory over the Rays today extended Baltimore’s lead over Tampa Bay to two games, and continued a dream month for the upstart O’s.  Between Baltimore’s 13-6 record and the Rays’ 4-14 record in July, the Orioles have completely wiped out their 6.5-game deficit from the start of the month, and now look like genuine World Series contenders.  Even with this big surge, it remains to be seen how the O’s might approach the trade deadline, as ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that according to executives on other teams, the Orioles have thus far looked like “measured buyers” who are “willing to deal from position player surplus to upgrade pitching, but not perceived to be fishing for big, pricey deals, at this point.”

Should such a stance continue through August 1, Baltimore fans might not be pleased, as the fanbase was already annoyed enough last summer when the O’s dealt Trey Mancini and Jorge Lopez at the deadline rather than make a push for a playoff spot.  (Of course, landing Yennier Cano from the Twins has made the Lopez trade a lot more popular in hindsight.)  Obviously selling isn’t on the radar for GM Mike Elias this year, but that also doesn’t necessarily mean a blockbuster move is in store.  Since the Orioles’ core of young talent is so promising, Elias might not see 2023 as the time for an all-in type of trade, especially considering that the O’s might not yet have decided which of their many star prospects they see as building blocks, and which might be trade chips.  Of course, history has shown that lower-level deadline trades can often lead to postseason success just as easily as a headline-grabbing transaction, so Elias can pursue plenty of avenues as he looks to put the final pieces to an exciting young team.

More from around the AL East…

  • During an appearance on The Front Office on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom reiterated that the club was looking for starting pitching at the deadline, as well as a left-handed hitting middle infielder.  Enrique Hernandez, Yu Chang, Christian Arroyo, and even part-time second baseman Justin Turner all swing from the right side, as do the injured Trevor Story and Pablo Reyes.  Story’s return from the injured list should give the Red Sox more clarity on their muddled infield picture, yet there’s also a chance Boston could both buy and sell at the deadline, as the club did last year.  To this end, pending free agent Hernandez could be expendable, and The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya writes that the Dodgers would have interest in a possible reunion if Hernandez was open to more of a part-time role.  Whereas Boston has too many right-handed bats, the Dodgers have a surplus of left-handed hitters in the outfield, so Hernandez could add both lineup balance and positional versatility as a player capable of working in multiple positions — essentially his old role when he previously played in L.A. in 2015-20.
  • X-rays were negative on Danny Jansen’s left forearm after the Blue Jays catcher was hit by a Bryan Woo pitch in today’s game.  Jansen was hit in the fifth inning and remained in the game until the seventh, and the Jays announced Jansen’s injury as a forearm contusion.  It seems like Jansen will be day-to-day for now, though the Blue Jays could be shorthanded behind the plate until he is ready, since the Jays’ next offday isn’t until Thursday.  Alejandro Kirk figures to be the starting catcher in the interim, with Tyler Heineman a call-up possibility from Triple-A, or Daulton Varsho perhaps an emergency catcher if Jansen only misses a game or two.
  • In a pair of Yankees injury updates, Gleyber Torres also left today’s game due to left hip tightness.  The issue isn’t serious enough at this time to require any tests, and manager Aaron Boone told The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and other reporters that Torres was already feeling better postgame.  Since New York doesn’t play on Monday, Torres might well not miss any game action after a day of rest.
  • Nestor Cortes will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A today, the Yankees announced.  Cortes hasn’t pitched since May 30 due to a strained rotator cuff, and the long layoff suggests that he’ll need multiple rehab outings before returning from the 60-day IL.  Cortes struggled to a 5.16 ERA over his first 11 starts of the season, but if he returns in his 2021-22 form, he’ll provide a major boost to New York’s rotation in August.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees Notes Toronto Blue Jays Chaim Bloom Danny Jansen Enrique Hernandez Gleyber Torres Nestor Cortes

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Red Sox Select Norwith Gudino

By Nick Deeds | July 22, 2023 at 6:49pm CDT

The Red Sox selected right-hander Norwith Gudino to the club’s roster earlier tonight, per a club announcement. Gudino is serving as the club’s 27th man during tonight’s game against the Mets after the clubs completed yesterday’s suspended game earlier today. Gudino will take the 40-man roster spot that had been previously vacated by right-hander Jake Faria, who was designated for assignment earlier this week.

Gudino, 27, would make his major league debut by getting into tonight’s game. Gudino’s professional career began with the Giants back in 2015, though he wouldn’t get his first taste of full-season baseball until 2018. That year, he posted a 4.41 ERA in 79 2/3 innings across three levels while mostly pitching out of the rotation. Gudino moved to relief in 2019, and dominated to a 0.53 ERA in 33 2/3 innings of work.

The right-hander did not pitch in 2020 due to the cancelled minor league season, but received his first taste of upper-minors action in the 2021 as he pitched to a solid 3.90 ERA in 60 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. Unfortunately for Gudino, he’s struggled significantly the past two seasons. He posted a brutal 8.87 ERA in 47 2/3 innings at Triple-A for the Giants last year before electing free agency this past offseason and signing on with the Red Sox on a minor league deal.

His results at Triple-A with the Red Sox have improved relative to those he posted with the Giants last year, though his 5.54 ERA in 52 innings while swinging between the bullpen and the rotation still leave something to be desired. That being said, his peripheral numbers have taken a significant turn for the worse in 2023. After posting strikeout rates around 30% in the upper minors throughout his career, that figure has plummeted to just 12.2% in 2023, a figure nearly matched by his 11% walk rate.

Despite these flaws, Gudino will get a chance in the majors with Boston, where he could be called upon to provide length in a bullpen where other multi-inning options such as Nick Pivetta and Josh Winckowski are relief on for late-inning roles.

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Boston Red Sox Transactions Norwith Gudino

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Red Sox Agree To Terms With Their Top Two Draft Picks

By Anthony Franco | July 21, 2023 at 5:35pm CDT

The Red Sox agreed to deals with their top two draft choices Friday afternoon, reports Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline (Twitter links). 14th overall pick Kyle Teel received an even $4MM signing bonus against a $4.66MM slot value, while second-rounder Nazzan Zanetello landed a well above-slot $3MM figure.

Teel, 21, was viewed as the top catcher in this year’s college class. He was the second backstop off the board after Kansas City took high schooler Blake Mitchell eighth overall. Teel ranked in the back half of the top 10 on pre-draft rankings at The Athletic, ESPN, Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. That made it a bit surprising he fell to Boston at 14 and the underslot signing figure most closely aligns with the slot value for the 18th selection.

A left-handed hitter, Teel put up a .407/.475/.655 line during his final season at the University of Virginia. He hit 25 doubles and 13 home runs with a modest 12.1% strikeout rate over 297 trips to the plate. He earned the ACC Player of the Year award as a result. Evaluators credit him with a well-rounded skillset headlined by excellent athleticism for a catcher and plus arm strength.

Zanetello, a Missouri high school infielder, was selected 50th overall. That selection has a slot value of $1.7MM, which the Sox handily exceeded to sign him away from the University of Arkansas. A right-handed hitting infielder, Zanetello ranked as high as 33rd on Keith Law’s pre-draft list at The Athletic but was outside the Top 100 at Baseball America. Evaluators praise his bat speed and athleticism but raised questions about the amount of swing-and-miss in his game.

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2023 Amateur Draft Boston Red Sox Kyle Teel Nazzan Zanetello

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AL East Notes: Story, Mullins, Green

By Darragh McDonald | July 21, 2023 at 2:24pm CDT

Red Sox infielder Trevor Story is beginning a rehab assignment today, with Ian Browne of MLB.com relaying the details. Story will play five innings at shortstop in Friday’s game before serving as the designated hitter on Saturday and returning to the shortstop position on Sunday.

The shortstop position in Boston has been in flux since it was reported in January that Story had undergone internal brace surgery on his right elbow. They’ve rotated various players through the position in his absence, including Enrique Hernández, Yu Chang, Pablo Reyes and others. The Red Sox have a collective .216/.272/.322 batting line from the position, which translates to a wRC+ of 59, placing them 27th out of the 30 clubs in the league.

Story is a career .268/.336/.513 hitter and would certainly be a boost if he could come back at that level, though it’s no guarantee that he will. He hit .251/.329/.471 in his final year in Colorado and then .238/.303/.434 last year. After missing all of this season so far, it remains to be seen what form he will be in when he gets back. The Sox are currently three games out of a playoff spot and even a diminished version of Story should be an upgrade over the production they’ve had from the shortstop position thus far.

Some more notes from the toughest division in the league…

  • The Orioles placed outfielder Cedric Mullins on the injured list earlier this week due to a groin strain, his second trip to the IL this year for that injury. Just the day prior, he had said he was hoping to avoid the IL, which made it fair to expect this stint would be minimal. That may not be the case, however, with Mullins providing more details to the media yesterday. He said that new symptoms emerged once his soreness went away, per Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner, with no timeline for his return right now. He said he’s hopeful of returning for the back end of the season, per Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball. That murkier timeline is surely an unpleasant development for the O’s, as Mullins continue to be an impact player when healthy. He’s hit .259/.347/.454 this year for a wRC+ of 123 and stolen 14 bases. His progress in the weeks to come will hopefully provide some more clarity but it doesn’t seem like an immediate return is likely.
  • Blue Jays reliever Chad Green is set to begin a rehab assignment on Saturday, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The Jays signed Green in the offseason to a convoluted deal, knowing that he wouldn’t be an option in the first half after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. He’s now rehabbing at an interesting time of the season, with the trade deadline just over the horizon. The righty has 272 appearances under his belt with a 3.17 ERA,  32.5% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. All contending clubs are looking for relief help at this time of year but Green’s impending return gives the Jays a chance to have that bullpen boost come from within. They are currently 54-43 and tied with the Astros for the second Wild Card spot. Green’s return will also give the club a couple of months to evaluate his status before deciding on the layered option structure of his contract. They first have to decide on triggering a three-year, $27MM option with $1MM in bonuses. If they decline, Green can exercise a 2024 player option with a $6.25MM salary and $2MM in bonuses. If he declines that, the Jays can trigger a two-year, $21MM option with $1MM in bonuses.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Notes Toronto Blue Jays Cedric Mullins Chad Green Trevor Story

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MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: All Eyes on the Angels, Cardinals Trade Options and Buyers or Sellers

By Darragh McDonald | July 19, 2023 at 11:58pm CDT

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

  • The Angels will consider trade offers on Shohei Ohtani (1:00)
  • The Cardinals are shifting their focus to 2024 (6:45)
  • Teams like the Tigers and the Red Sox are going to let the on-field results dictate their respective deadline strategies (14:25)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Do you feel that the Yankees should be sellers? (17:25)
  • If the Rangers were to acquire Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, would that make them the favorite in American League? (21:30)
  • What are the Blue Jays going to target at the deadline? (24:00)

Check out our past episodes!

  • Top Deadline Trade Candidates, Ohtani Trade Potential and the Slipping Rays – listen here
  • Free Agent Power Rankings and Aroldis Chapman to the Rangers – listen here
  • The Angels Trade for Infielders, Indecisive NL Central Teams and Aaron Judge’s Toe – listen here
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Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Angels MLB Trade Rumors Podcast New York Yankees St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Cody Bellinger Marcus Stroman Shohei Ohtani

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Red Sox Outright Jake Faria

By Anthony Franco | July 19, 2023 at 11:19pm CDT

The Red Sox sent right-hander Jake Faria through outright waivers, the club informed reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive). Boston had designated him for assignment on Monday.

Faria had a very brief stay on the MLB roster. He pitched just once, allowing five runs in two innings as a mop-up reliever. That marked his first big league outing in two years. Faria has otherwise spent the season with Boston’s top affiliate in Worcester. He’s started nine of 19 appearances there, allowing a 6.47 ERA over 55 2/3 innings. Faria has a below-average 17.5% strikeout percentage while walking 13.3% of opponents.

The 29-year-old has struggled at the top minor league level over the past few seasons. He posted a 7.48 ERA in 12 outings with the Twins’ Triple-A team a year ago. In parts of seven campaigns there, he carries a 4.79 ERA. He’s logged MLB action in five different years, working to a 4.87 ERA through 205 innings.

Faria has been outrighted on multiple occasions in his career. He can therefore decline a minor league assignment in favor of free agency. He chose to stick with Worcester after being outrighted in mid-April, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he does the same this time around.

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Boston Red Sox Transactions Jake Faria

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Eddie Bressoud Passes Away

By Darragh McDonald | July 19, 2023 at 8:41pm CDT

Former major leaguer Eddie Bressoud recently passed away due to cerebellar ataxia, per an obituary from Thomas Gase of the Vallejo Times-Herald. Bressoud was 91 years old.

Bressoud was born in Los Angeles in 1932 and signed with the New York Giants in 1950. He spent the next few years in the minors and also served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, eventually cracking the big leagues in 1956. He got into 49 games with the Giants that year and another 49 the year after, hitting a combined .245/.290/.345 in those two seasons.

Prior to the 1958 season, the Giants moved across the country to San Francisco. He stuck with them for that move and spent another four years with the Giants after, hitting .237/.301/.376 in 345 games, mostly playing shortstop but also bouncing to the other three infield positions.

After the 1961 season, there was an expansion draft held for two new franchises in the New York Mets and Houston Colt .45s, the latter of whom would later change their name to the Astros. Bressoud was selected by Houston but then was quickly traded to the Red Sox. He would spent four years in Boston, hitting 57 home runs and producing a batting line of .270/.337/.435 in 558 games for the Red Sox. He was named to the American League All-Star team in 1964.

He was traded two more times in his career, joining the Mets in 1966 and the Cardinals in 1967. Bressoud only had a part-time role with that St. Louis team, getting into 52 games, but they went 101-60 and won the National League pennant. Bressoud entered two games in the World Series as a defensive replacement but didn’t get to make a plate appearance, though the Cards emerged victorious over the Red Sox in seven games.

That ultimately proved to be his final major league season as a player. He appeared in 1,186 regular season games and made 4,106 plate appearances. He recorded 925 hits, including 184 doubles, 40 triples and 94 home runs. He stole nine bases, scored 443 runs and drove in 365. He finished his career with a .252 batting average and .319 on-base percentage. He was both an All-Star and a World Series champion.

His post-playing days saw him serve as a minor league manager and as a scout for the Angels. He also served as a faculty member, coach, and dean of athletics at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. We at MLBTR send our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

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Boston Red Sox New York Mets Obituaries San Francisco Giants St. Louis Cardinals

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A’s Claim Tayler Scott From Red Sox

By Anthony Franco | July 19, 2023 at 6:39pm CDT

The A’s announced they’ve claimed reliever Tayler Scott off waivers from the Red Sox. Boston had designated the right-hander for assignment over the weekend. He’ll take the 40-man roster spot vacated by the Shintaro Fujinami trade.

Scott, 31, is joining his third organization of the season. He signed a minor league pact with the Dodgers in January and cracked the L.A. roster in May. He made six appearances before being designated for assignment and traded to the Red Sox. Scott got into four contests before Boston DFA him as well.

Between the two clubs, he’s allowed nine runs (eight earned) over 9 2/3 innings. Scott has a 10.18 ERA over 38 career MLB frames split across five organizations and three separate seasons. The former fifth-round draftee has allowed around four earned runs per nine both at the Triple-A level and in parts of two seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball though.

That includes an excellent 1.59 ERA over 22 2/3 Triple-A frames this year. He can be optioned to the minors for the remainder of the season and is still multiple years away from arbitration eligibility. He’ll serve as affordable depth for an Oakland bullpen with an MLB-worst 5.72 ERA.

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Boston Red Sox Oakland Athletics Transactions Tayler Scott

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Red Sox Seeking Back-End Starter, Right-Handed Middle Relief

By Anthony Franco | July 18, 2023 at 9:15am CDT

The Red Sox blanked the A’s last night, pushing them to 51-44 and tying their season high at seven games over .500. Paired with a Yankees’ loss, Boston pulled out of the basement in the AL East and sits just a game and a half back of Houston for the American League’s final Wild Card spot.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has said a couple times recently the team’s play leading up to the August 1 deadline will impact how aggressively they pursue outside help versus entertaining offers on their veteran players. The team seems to be finding its stride with two weeks to go, putting the front office in a good position to add for a playoff push.

Rob Bradford of WEEI reported yesterday the Sox are seeking to add pitching depth. He suggests a back-of-the-rotation starter and a right-handed middle relief option are on the target list.

Each of those player types should be attainable. Veteran back-end starters change hands every deadline season. Michael Lorenzen, Carlos Carrasco, Lance Lynn and recurring Sox’s target Rich Hill are among the impending free agents who are unlikely to require a hefty acquisition cost. Oakland’s Paul Blackburn and Cleveland’s Aaron Civale are middle to back end starters with multiple seasons of remaining affordable control. They’d be costlier from a prospect perspective than the aforementioned rentals as a result.

Various injuries have left Boston with a top-heavy rotation. James Paxton has been stellar since returning from two and a half injury-wrecked seasons, working to a 3.51 ERA while striking out over 28% of opposing hitters. Brayan Bello has improved his control in his second MLB season, resulting in a 3.14 ERA over 15 starts. Kutter Crawford, a midseason entrant to the rotation who has a 4.73 ERA over 10 starts, is the only other consistent member of the current starting staff.

The Sox are without each of Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock. Sale recently began throwing again but is shelved into August by a shoulder blade injury. Houck suffered a facial fracture when he was hit by a comebacker in late June. He’s expected back this season but isn’t an imminent returnee. Whitlock hit the injured list two weeks ago with elbow inflammation.

With only a three-man rotation, the Sox used a bullpen game last night against Oakland. Nick Pivetta was brilliant in a bulk capacity, tossing six scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts. The 30-year-old righty is up to 35 innings of 2.31 ERA ball with an elite 38.2% strikeout rate since moving to relief in mid-May. Boston has been reluctant to move him out of a role in which he has been so exceptional. Cora said last night they’re planning to use Pivetta in a similar bulk capacity on Sunday evening against the Mets (relayed by Chris Cotillo of MassLive).

Adding a stable veteran arm to the back of the rotation would safeguard against any injury setbacks for Sale, Houck or Whitlock (or a potential issue for Paxton, whose own health history is obviously alarming). It’d reduce the chance of Boston needing to push Pivetta back into the starting staff at any point.

Boston’s bullpen, meanwhile, skews very left-handed in the middle innings. Kenley Jansen, Pivetta, Chris Martin and Josh Winckowski are the only righties in the current 10-man mix. Pivetta’s bulk role means he’s not going to be available for shorter matchup work on most nights. Jansen is locked into his customary closing role. That leaves Martin and Winckowski — both of whom have pitched well — as the only righty setup options available.

The Sox are soon to welcome back one key reinforcement. John Schreiber had a 2.12 ERA with a 30% strikeout rate in 18 outings before a lat strain sent him to the IL in mid-May. He’s made four appearances since beginning a rehab stint two weeks ago and should soon be back in the MLB mix. Schreiber would be a high-leverage arm if he quickly recaptures his pre-injury form, although there’d still be room for additional middle relief depth.

There are various righty bullpen arms who stand out as possible trade candidates. Michael Fulmer, Keynan Middleton, Reynaldo López, old friends Joe Kelly (who’s expected back from an IL stint shortly) and Adam Ottavino, José Cisnero, Chris Stratton and Shintaro Fujinami could all be on the move.

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Boston Red Sox John Schreiber Nick Pivetta

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Red Sox Likely To Discuss Extension With Brayan Bello

By Darragh McDonald | July 17, 2023 at 8:32pm CDT

Brayan Bello is performing well enough in his first full season that the Red Sox seem to have interest in signing him to a long-term deal, with the club’s assistant general manager Eddie Romero saying as much to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.

“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 said. “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, 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.”

Those talks are unlikely to ramp up at the moment, since Bello’s preference is to focus on his performance while the season is still in progress. “If (the Red Sox) did speak to my representatives I don’t know,” he says, “because I told them if there are any extension talks I don’t want to hear about it in-season, because I want to focus on finishing my season good so that good things can happen for me.” But once the offseason rolls around, it appears he is indeed open to an extension. “I do want to stay here long-term,” he said. “This is the organization that gave me a chance to be somebody so I’d love to stay here.” Bello also expressed his openness to an extension with Rob Bradford of WEEI a couple of weeks ago.

It’s hardly a surprise that the Sox are interested in getting Bello to put pen to paper, given his strong results and the club’s need for long-term pitching solutions. He debuted in July of last year and make 13 appearances in the second half of the season, including 11 starts, posting a 4.71 earned run average in 57 1/3 innings. His 20.5% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate were both a bit below average but he kept the ball on the ground at an excellent 55.7% clip.

Here in 2023, he’s made 15 more starts with his strikeout and ground ball rates essentially holding steady but his walk rate dropping to 6.1%. That’s helped him drop his ERA by more than a full run to 3.14 for the season. He’s now been in the majors for just over a year and has a combined 3.77 ERA in 143 1/3 innings in that time and only celebrated his 24th birthday in May.

The rotation in Boston has many question marks at the moment. James Paxton is pitching well but is an impending free agent. Chris Sale still has one more guaranteed season on his contract and an option for 2025 but has been hurt quite often in recent years. The last time he reached 60 innings pitched in an individual campaign was 2019. Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta have been moved to the bullpen, with Pivetta likely to stay there since he’s thriving and Kluber likely to have his option declined this fall. Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock each have plenty of club control remaining but both have struggled to stay healthy to the point that neither has hit 80 innings in a major league season yet. Kutter Crawford has a 3.74 ERA this year overall but a 4.73 mark as a starter.

Looking even further ahead, there doesn’t seem to be much immediate help coming from the farm. Bryan Mata is on the 40-man roster but has a 5.61 ERA in Triple-A this year. Brandon Walter is working out of the major league bullpen right now but has a 6.08 ERA in Triple-A this year. Some other non-roster depth pieces have also struggled, leading the club to sign journeymen like Dinelson Lamet and Kyle Barraclough to minor league deals.

Taking all those factors into consideration, it’s understandable why the club would want to keep Bello around. There shouldn’t be any terrible urgency, as he will finish this season with one year and 82 days of service time. That means he won’t be slated for arbitration until after 2025 or free agency until after 2028. But like all players, he will only increase his earning power as he moves closer to those dates, as long as he stays healthy and effective. Hunter Greene and the Reds recently agreed to a six-year, $53MM extension when he had five years of club control remaining, where Bello will be this winter. But players in their arb years can generally go beyond that, such as the $90MM guarantee secured by Logan Webb when he was between three and four years of service time or the $108MM that Luis Castillo got when he was beyond four years. That’s not to say that Bello is the same caliber of pitcher as those guys or that the Sox would have to pay that kind of money, but it does highlight the way that prices will escalate as potential free agency gets closer.

The Sox already have some significant long-term contracts on the books, with Trevor Story, Masataka Yoshida and Rafael Devers each making $18MM or more for each future season through 2027. But extensions for pre-arb players generally have the salaries ramping up gradually, roughly mirroring the scaling up process of the arbitration system. A theoretical Bello extension would likely see him earn modest pay bumps over the first few seasons and the most significant salaries would be after Story and Yoshida are off the books. Devers’ contract goes through 2033 but is the only Boston player guaranteed a contract in 2028 and beyond.

Given the aforementioned rotation uncertainty, the Sox seem like a candidate to look for starting pitching in free agency this winter, but they may also look to use a few dollars to lock up their best internal candidate as well.

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Boston Red Sox Brayan Bello

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    Red Sox Notes: Ryan, Alcantara, Prospects, Mayer, Slaten

    Orioles Claim Vidal Brujan, Carson Ragsdale

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