Did Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora hint at a potential call-up of the most promising pitching prospect the organization has had in years?
When asked if No. 1 pitching prospect Brayan Bello could be in the mix for Boston, Cora had an interesting response.
“There’s a lot of guys in the mix for a lot of stuff here, now,” Cora told reporters, as translated by MLB.com’s Ian Browne on Saturday. “We’ve been talking about those guys the whole season. Let’s see what happens in the upcoming days.”
The answer was notable for a few reasons.
Cora is typically fairly straightforward with the media. If Bello was not even in consideration for a call-up this season, he likely would say so.
The most interesting part of his answer was at the end. He hinted at one of the Triple-A pitchers receiving a promotion in the coming days, potentially including Bello. While the rising star has only made nine appearances for the Worcester Red Sox, his time there could be short-lived based on his elite production.
The 23-year-old flamethrower has posted a 2.81 ERA with 72 strikeouts, 21 walks and a 1.17 WHIP in 51 1/3 innings since his promotion on May 17. His combination of high heat — with movement — paired with a plus changeup and slider has led to 12.62 strikeouts per nine innings.
Whether his time is coming in the near future or not, Bello figures to be a massive component of the Red Sox future, and his development should be toward the top of the organization’s priorities.
