Editor’s note: This story was written before Sean McAdam’s report that the Red Sox may consider Brayan Bello ‘untouchable’ in trade deals after the December 4 Johan Oviedo trade (subscription required).

The annual Winter Meetings are just around the corner, and with them usually comes a flurry of signings and trades. Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was active at the meetings last December and acquired Garrett Crochet and Carlos Narváez on the same day.

Boston is expected to be active on the trade market again this offseason, even after acquiring Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals. The Sox have other acquisitions they could address either in free agency and on the trade market, and a logjam in their outfield they need to clear. Jarren Duran has been the most popular mention in Red Sox trade rumors, Breslow has said nothing is off the table when it comes to improving the team.

This year’s class of free agent pitchers isn’t the most impressive, with Framber Valdez and Michael King at the top of the heap. This has led many reporters to posit that the Red Sox will address their rotation additions via the trade market, which they’ve already done to some degree. Duran could be included in a deal for a top starter, but the Sox may have to give up more to get the quality player they seek.

Boston may also have to open another spot in the rotation to accommodate a new pitcher with Garrett Crochet and Gray as staples at the front. The Red Sox could include a starter in their trade package to secure another, and after a breakout season, it could be Brayan Bello.

Red Sox could trade Brayan Bello to open rotation spot after breakout 2025 season

Bello posted a 3.35 ERA, a 1.236 WHIP, 124 strikeouts and 59 walks over 166.2 innings in his best season of work for the Red Sox. The 27-year-old could have eyes on him as a trade target around the league, especially one of the teams dealing an ace-tier arm — trading a No. 1 or 2 starter and receiving a young, controllable pitcher in return could be hard to pass up.

Before the 2024 season, the Red Sox signed Bello to an incredibly team-friendly six-year, $55 million extension. There are still five years on that deal, and Bello’s body of work for Boston has already turned his contract into a steal. The Sox could include him in any deal for a top starter to increase the value of their package and immediately free up a spot in the rotation.

If the Red Sox are looking to improve their rotation further, they could be forced to trade an arm or two. As of this writing, Crochet, Bello, Gray, Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, Hunter Dobbins, Kyle Harrison, and maybe even top prospects Luis Perales and David Sandlin could all be in the mix for rotation jobs in 2026, and the Red Sox don’t have enough room between the rotation and bullpen for all of them.

Trading Bello would hurt, since he’s a homegrown player, he’s passionate and he’s played a fun role in the reinvigoration of the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees. But, as the saying goes: “You need to trade talent to get talent.” The Red Sox front office has been clear that nothing was off the table when it comes to improving the team, and while trading Bello could be risky, it could also be very worth it for the right move.