MLB Rumors: Red Sox extension, Mike Trout's options, Blake Snell's alternative

MLB Rumors: Red Sox discussing extension with young starting pitcher

The 2023 season was another rough one for the Boston Red Sox which resulted in their third last-place finish in the last four seasons, but there were some bright spots that came away from it. Perhaps the biggest bright spot of the entire season was the emergence of Brayan Bello who looked like he could be a legitimate piece for the future in Boston.

Overall, the right-hander posted a 4.24 ERA in 28 starts and 157 innings of work. He had a rough start and finish to his season, but for much of the season Bello looked like the best starting pitcher in the Red Sox rotation. Sure, that might not mean much when discussing how bad Boston's starting pitching was, but the fact that he was having that much success in his first full MLB season at 24 years old sure means a lot.

With Bello proving himself as a clear long-term piece for the future for the Red Sox, the two sides have reportedly begun contract extension talks. This is particularly notable because Bello isn't even set to hit arbitration until after the 2025 season and won't hit free agency until after the 2028 campaign.

If Bello and the Red Sox were to come to an agreement, his contract would likely cover the remaining years of team control plus a couple of his free agent years. Orchestrating an extension like this can be beneficial for both the player and the team. Bello would get long-term security, and the Red Sox would likely get their hurler at a bargain price if he lives up to his potential.

By extending Bello, the Red Sox would do something they've struggled with in recent years, extending their own before they get too expensive. They failed to do so with Mookie Betts and traded him before he hit free agency. They failed to do so with Xander Bogaerts and wound up letting him walk because he got too expensive for their liking. Boston did find a way to extend Rafael Devers, and will reap the benefits of that for the next decade.

It's been a rough offseason for the Red Sox, but if they can find a way to sign Bello to a creative extension that locks him in for the next half-decade or longer, that'd be at least a small win for Red Sox fans to celebrate.