After receiving bad news about the biggest offseason addition to their rotation, the Boston Red Sox are making a significant long-term investment in the team's top returning pitcher.
Young right-hander Brayan Bello agreed to a $55 million, six-year contract on Thursday that includes a club option for 2030. This happened as Boston found out about an injury to Lucas Giolito, who went to Alabama this week for a second opinion on his ailing right elbow.
Bello, who turns 25 in May, could have been eligible for arbitration after 2025 and could have become a free agent after the 2028 season.
The contract has a $21 million team option for 2030 with a $1 million buyout. If exercised, it would make the agreement worth $75 million over seven seasons.
Bello went 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA in 28 starts last season, striking out 132 and walking 45 in 157 innings. He is expected to lead a rotation that remains a concern.
The 29-year-old Giolito signed a $38.5 million, two-year contract with the Red Sox and made two spring training starts before reporting elbow discomfort.
Giolito went 8-16 with a 4.88 ERA in 33 starts last season while pitching for the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Guardians. He made at least 30 starts each of the last three seasons and was a 2019 All-Star.
PERAZA HURTING
New York Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza underwent an MRI on his ailing right shoulder.
“Just more of that discomfort he experienced earlier in the week.” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He felt like he couldn’t really rip it across the diamond like he wanted.”
HARRIS’ HOT START
Michael Harris II hit his third Grapefruit League homer Thursday, a third-inning drive off Boston’s Tanner Houck in the Atlanta Braves’ 3-2 victory. Harris is 8 for 18 with six runs and five RBIs.
Harris was batting just .200 with a .499 OPS at the end of April last year, though he fared much better the rest of the way and finished with a .293 average and .808 OPS in 138 games.
CHAPMAN SUITS UP
Third baseman Matt Chapman was set to make his first Cactus League appearance since joining the San Francisco Giants on a $54 million, three-year deal.
Chapman was in the starting lineup as the No. 5 hitter in Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
CUBS’ KILIAN INJURED
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters right-hander Caleb Kilian has a teres major strain and is expected to be out until the All-Star break. The teres major muscle attaches to the upper arm and scapula.
Kilian, 26, was 0-1 with a 16.88 ERA in three appearances for the Cubs last season while also going 8-3 with a 4.56 ERA in 25 appearances for Triple-A Iowa. He made 24 starts for Iowa and had 95 strikeouts and 36 walks over 120 1/3 innings.
SIZZLING WALSH
Texas’ Jared Walsh hit an RBI single in the Rangers’ 7-5 victory over the Diamondbacks and has now reached base in 10 of his 20 plate appearances.
Wyatt Langford, the fourth overall pick in last year’s amateur draft, had a sacrifice fly and tied for the team lead with eight RBIs
A’S PLAYING IN VEGAS
The Oakland Athletics are playing in Las Vegas this weekend for exhibition games against Milwaukee. This is their first time playing in Las Vegas since they announced their plan to move the team to this city.
The games will take place at Las Vegas Ballpark, which is the home of the franchise’s Triple-A Aviators. The A’s are planning to build a new regular-season ballpark on the Strip, expected to open in 2028. Last June, the Nevada Legislature approved $380 million in funding for the $1.5 billion stadium, and the baseball owners unanimously agreed to the relocation in November.
The Saturday afternoon game at the 10,000-seat capacity ballpark is expected to have a nearly full crowd, but the temperature dropping into the 50s on Friday night may reduce attendance.
Las Vegas has been hosting spring training games since 1983, and the A’s played six regular-season games in 1996 at Cashman Field due to renovations at the Oakland Coliseum. Because of the planned permanent move, this weekend’s game creates an unusual situation for players, who will return to Oakland and face an angry fan base upset with owner John Fisher.
Right-hander Paul Blackburn, who is from the Bay Area, expressed mixed feelings about the situation, acknowledging the disappointment of the Oakland community while understanding the excitement of the people in Vegas to have a big-league team. He mentioned the loss the Oakland community will experience with the team's relocation.
On Tuesday, the A’s released plans for the 33,000-seat stadium, marking the latest advancement in the relocation process. The stadium will be located on a nine-acre section of a 35-acre property owned by Bally’s at the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.
The almost 67-year-old Tropicana resort on that property will close on April 2 to make way for the construction of the ballpark and hotel.
The location where the A’s will play from 2025-27 has not been announced yet. Club officials have held discussions with the city of Oakland regarding a potential lease extension. Other potential options include the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park or Triple-A ballparks in Salt Lake City or Sacramento, California.
A political action committee of Nevada teachers has filed a lawsuit to prevent the state from distributing the money approved by the Legislature for the stadium. There could also be delays in construction.
The A’s had a rough season last year, with 50 wins and 112 losses, marking the team’s highest number of losses since the 1916 Philadelphia A’s, and finishing 40 games behind in the AL West. Throughout the season, fans protested the team's move to Las Vegas and directed their frustration at owner Fisher.
Designated hitter Brent Rooker, who hit 30 home runs last season and was the A’s lone All-Star, believes the team coped well with the situation, drawing on their experience to handle things internally.
The players faced a negative atmosphere due to the fan anger, but they had to maintain their focus on playing.
Rooker recognized the strong emotions on both sides of the relocation issue, acknowledging that it is beyond their control. He expressed hope that wherever they end up playing, they can perform well enough to gain support from the community and establish a strong fan base to create a home atmosphere similar to other teams in the league.