With his recent poor performance, Brayan Bello and his $55 million contract are sitting in Worcester with the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
After giving up eight earned runs on Thursday afternoon, Bello decided to clarify for himself what his role with the Red Sox was, and for that, he was optioned to Triple-A about three hours later, officially making him a minor league player again, for the time being.
Boston Red Sox follower Tyler Milliken pulled what Bello said to the English translator in his post-game presser yesterday:
“First of all, just stop talking about bullpen and starting games. I’ve always been a starter and when I’ve been successful as a starter, no one has questioned whether I have to be in the bullpen or starting games. So, starting from there, just stop that talk, I’m just having a bad season.”
It is partly true that Bello has had some success, but that isn’t the time, after giving up six runs in the first inning, to start dictating what your role is with the team.
As for the other player who is tied to the Minors? Kristian Campbell continues to struggle in the minors and was inked to a $60 million deal a couple of years ago. That’s a lot of money to be paying for two players who have minimal impact on your roster.
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Boston Red Sox Have A Lot of Cash Tied to Minor League Players
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 04: Starting pitcher Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox throws in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on June 04, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
John Martinello wrote (via X): “Between Brayan Bello and Kristian Campbell, the Red Sox have $125 million in guaranteed money hanging out in Worcester. Someone, somewhere, needs to fix these guys.”
If you’re wondering about the financials of this math, considering Bello is on a $55 million contract, and Campbell is on a $60 million deal, both players likely have a $5 million buyout clause if they’re to be released, which would make it $125 million total between the two players.
As for their play on the field, both players have been underwhelming.
Brayan Bello’s bWAR is -1.5 (essentially making him more valuable if he just never threw a pitch), and he carries an ERA of 6.34 across 61 innings. He only has 44 strikeouts, too, which doesn’t help his case. Boston finally pulled the trigger on Bello with the option news, but what’s next for the 27-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic is what’s on every Red Sox fan’s mind.
As for Kristian Campbell, the Red Sox, probably admittedly, inked his contract extension a bit prematurely, but all hope is not lost for Campbell because he’s just 23-years-old.
In 49 games with AAA Worcester this season, Campbell is hitting .227 with two home runs in 170+ at-bats. Those aren’t exactly world-beating stats, and how much help would he really be with the Red Sox this season?
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What’s Next for Red Sox Players Brayan Bello and Kristian Campbell?
It’s unclear if Brayan Bello will get another chance with the Red Sox or if they will start looking into a trade immediately. As much as he deserved to be optioned, what he said to the press after Thursday’s game likely accelerated the decision.
As for Kristian Campbell, even if he struggles in the minors, the Red Sox will have to give him another chance at the MLB level, at least, to fully gauge his ability. In 2025, he received 229 with the Red Sox, and Campbell hit .223 with six home runs, 21 RBI, and an OPS of .664.
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