The Boston Red Sox finally made a move Friday after another embarrassing home loss — demoting starting pitcher Brayan Bello to Triple-A Worcester following a brutal outing and a postgame media meltdown.
Bello gave up five runs in the first inning against Baltimore on Thursday, then berated reporters who questioned his role as a starter.
The organization had enough.
“Stop talking about the bullpen-starter crap because when I’m pitching well as a starter nobody talks about it.”
That’s what Bello told the media after his latest disaster — despite being the worst qualified starting pitcher in Major League Baseball this season.
Bello entered Friday with a 2-6 record and 6.34 ERA. Teams are hitting .310 off him — also worst in the league among qualified starters.
The split between his performance as a traditional starter versus a bulk reliever (coming in after the first inning or two) is staggering:
- In seven games as a traditional starter: 9.68 ERA, 10 home runs allowed, 18 walks, .370 batting average against
- In four games as a bulk reliever: 0.71 ERA, 0 home runs, 3 walks, .215 batting average against
Interim manager Chad Kelly had recently moved Bello to the bulk role — where he excelled. Thursday’s decision to start him again backfired spectacularly.
After the five-run first inning, Bello’s postgame comments sealed his fate. The Red Sox announced his demotion to Worcester the next day.
Boston’s season has been a disaster across the board, but starting pitching depth is one area the organization actually has covered. Bello’s tantrum made the decision easy.
The Red Sox are in last place and dealing with public locker-room issues. Bello’s ego-driven media session after another first-inning collapse was the final straw for an organization desperate to salvage credibility.
With the trade deadline approaching next month, Bello’s future in Boston looks increasingly uncertain.
