Red Sox and RHP Brayan Bello Agree on Six-Year Contract Extension Through 2029 Season
BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today signed right-handed pitcher Brayan Bello to a six-year contract extension that spans the 2024-2029 seasons, with a club option for 2030.
Bello, 24, has spent his entire career in the Red Sox organization since signing as an international free agent on July 2, 2017. After making his Major League debut in 2022, he completed his first full season in 2023 and became the first Red Sox pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1987 to lead the club’s pitching staff in starts (28), innings (157.0), and wins (12) in an age-24 season or younger. In 41 career starts, Bello is 14-19 with a 4.37 ERA (104 ER/214.1 IP); in 30 starts from September 14, 2022, through September 15, 2023, he was 13-12 with a 3.59 ERA (67 ER/168.0 IP).
In 2023, the Red Sox went 17-11 (.607) in Bello’s starts, with the right-hander leading the club in outings of at least 5.0 innings (21), 6.0 innings (17), and 7.0 innings (six). His 17 starts of at least 6.0 innings were third most among Major Leaguers 24 years old or younger, behind only the Atlanta Braves’ Spencer Strider (21) and Bryce Elder (18). Prior to Bello, the most recent Red Sox to make at least 17 starts of 6.0 or more innings in a season at the age of 24 or younger were Roger Clemens (1987), Jon Lester (2008), and Felix Doubront (2012).
Last season, Bello threw at least 5.0 innings in each of his nine starts against American League East opponents, going 5-3 with a 3.83 ERA (23 ER/54.0 IP) versus the division. He owns a 1.45 career ERA (5 ER/31.0 IP) against the New York Yankees, the lowest mark for any pitcher who has made at least five starts against the club in the Live Ball Era (1920-present). In three career starts at Yankee Stadium, Bello has posted a 1.89 ERA (4 ER/19.0 IP).
A native of Samaná, Dominican Republic, Bello is the only player in Major League history born in the district of Las Galeras. He began his professional career in 2018 with the Red Sox’ Dominican Summer League affiliates before spending the entire 2019 season with Single-A Greenville. Bello entered each season from 2020-22 ranked by Baseball America as one of Boston’s top-ranked prospects, jumping to No. 2 in the publication’s 2022 mid-season rankings.
In both 2021 and 2022, Bello was recognized by the Red Sox as the organization’s Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year and was selected to pitch in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The Boston Baseball Writers selected Bello as their 2022 Red Sox Rookie of the Year, as well as their 2023 Red Sox Pitcher of the Year.