With Rafael Devers returning to Fenway Park this weekend, it feels like an appropriate time to check in on the lone player the Red Sox acquired from the Giants in last June’s blockbuster trade who remains in the organization.
That would be 21-year-old right-hander Jose Bello, whom Boston obtained from San Francisco alongside pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks and first baseman/outfielder James Tibbs III. The Red Sox have since dealt Harrison to the Brewers, Hicks to the White Sox, and Tibbs to the Dodgers in three separate trades involving other players.
As previously stated, this article will focus on Bello, who is not currently ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects by Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com. The young righty has dealt with shoulder issues to begin his first full season in the organization, requiring stints on Low-A Salem’s injured list in April and June. When on the mound, though, he has posted a 3.92 ERA with 43 strikeouts to 31 walks across 17 outings (10 starts) spanning 62 innings for the RidgeYaks.
While opposing hitters have slashed .264/.366/.405 in 266 plate appearances against Bello, his 52.2% groundball rate ranks eighth among Carolina League pitchers who have thrown at least 60 innings this season, according to FanGraphs.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 164 pounds (but likely heavier), Bello throws from a three-quarters arm slot and features a 92-94 mph fastball that can reach 96 mph, a 90-92 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph slider, and an 82-86 mph changeup. SoxProspects.com notes that his arsenal and size “point towards the bullpen long-term,” while FanGraphs describes him as looking “more like a moldable arm than a guy tracking for any particular kind of defined, impact role.”
Bello originally signed with the Giants for $47,500 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January 2023. The Santo Domingo native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, spending parts of three seasons there and in the Arizona Complex League before being traded to the Red Sox last June. He then split the remainder of the 2025 campaign between the Florida Complex League and Salem.
Since making the jump from rookie ball last July, Bello owns a 3.69 ERA with 60 strikeouts to 40 walks over 24 outings (14 starts) and 85 2/3 innings at the Low-A level. He is scheduled to make his next start for Salem in Sunday’s series finale against Wilson. After that, it remains to be seen whether he can work his way up to High-A Greenville before the season ends.
(Picture of Rafael Devers: Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)