The Boston Red Sox reportedly locked up one of their youngest and brightest players on Thursday.
According to ESPN, pitcher Brayan Bello and the Red Sox agreed to a six-year, $55 million contract extension that includes an option for a seventh year worth $21 million.
Bello finished with a 12-11 record, 4.24 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 157 innings and his first full season in Major League Baseball. The 24-year-old may also swap in for Lucas Giolito as Boston’s Opening Day starter, due to the free agent signee’s lingering elbow injury, ESPN reports.
The right-hander solidifies a rotation that includes Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta and Garrett Whitlock.
Boston signed Bello for $280,000 in 2017, while he was playing in his native Dominican Republic. Five years later, Bello made his major-league debut and a year later, established himself as one of the best pitchers on the Red Sox’s staff.
One of the Chicago Cubs’ depth arms vying for a shot on the big league roster has suffered a significant setback as the season approaches.
While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell revealed that right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian suffered a teres major strain, which will keep him out of action for several months, likely until around the All-Star break.
Counsell also told reporters that infielder Nick Madrigal has a mild hamstring strain, with the team looking to monitor his progress over the next week.
As for Kilian, the setback is a dagger to the 26-year-old righty who’s looking to complete the climb to the big leagues as a versatile arm capable of long relief or starting.
Initially acquired in a 2021 trade that sent former MVP Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants, Kilian has appeared in six MLB games over the past two seasons with the Cubs with underwhelming results.
Kilian’s numbers were noticeably better in Triple-A Iowa in 2023, though still with some clear room for improvement.
Across 25 games and 24 starts in 2023 with the I-Cubs, Kilian posted an 8-3 record with a 4.56 ERA, totaling 36 walks and 95 strikeouts across 120.1 innings of work.
With Kilian’s absence, the battle for remaining bullpen spots and the fifth starter spot is slightly narrowed, with Javier Assad, Hayden Wesneski, Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks among those previously competing with Kilian for a roster spot.
