Brayan Bello is a former pitcher for the Double A Sea Dogs in Portland, Maine.
It’s too little too late since the Sox are likely out of contention.
But management has solved the Brayan Bello problem.
They demoted the $76 million Bello Thursday by sending him down to Triple A Worcester.
Bello allowed eight runs and walked three through five innings of work in Boston’s 8-2 loss to the Orioles.
Following the loss, Bello told reporters that he wants people to “stop talking” about whether he is a starting pitcher or a reliever, according to the New York Post.
Bello has allegedly been a Boston starter.
But he’s actually been a reliever.
He mentally was unable to start games because for some reason putting him in the first inning never worked.
So the Sox were starting his games with a reliever in the first before handing the ball to him in the second.
“Just stop talking about bullpen and starting games,” Bello told reporters. “I’ve always been a starter. And when I’ve been successful as a starter, nobody has questioned whether I have to be in the bullpen or starting games.”
Questions had arisen about Bello potentially pitching out of the Red Sox’s bullpen due to his abysmal 10.35 ERA through eight starts.
In comparison, he has a 0.71 ERA as a bulk reliever while pitching after an opener.
Bello did acknowledge that he’s been having a “bad season” so far, but insisted that he would be able to recover going forward.
“Just stop that talk because I’m just having a bad season. That’s it,” Bello said. “It’s not whether I’m a starter or I’m a reliever. I’m just having a bad season. But I know I can turn it around. I always have. And I think I will.”
Bello made his MLB debut four years ago after playing his first five years in the minors.
The Dominican Republic native signed with the Sox as an international free agent in 2017.
He began the 2022 season with the Double-A Sea Dogs in Portland, Maine.
Bello was sent up to Worcester later that summer before being called up to the bigs.
He lost the first MLB game he pitched before being sent back down to Worcester after only his second start.
He then came back upstairs but no sooner did he get a second chance than he got injured.
Bello rejoined the team but then started the 2023 season again injured.
He signed a six-year, $55 million contract extension in 2024 with the Sox that included a seventh-year club option for $21 million.
During spring training, he was named the team’s starter for opening day that season.
But since he’s been nothing but a distraction, never having figured out how to get rid of his starting demons.
