Red Sox-Padres Mock Trade is Sure Sign Boston's Big Moves Should Be Done

On Monday, Kelly pitched starting pitcher Brayan Bello as a "realistic" potential trade target for the pitching-needy San Diego Padres, citing the Red Sox's perceived surplus of starters as a reason they might consider the move.

"The Padres are the exact type of team that makes sense for Bello because they need a No. 3 for 2026 to go behind Michael King and Nick Pivetta, while also alleviating pressure on Joe Musgrove in his return after missing all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery," Kelly wrote.

"Would the Padres move catcher Ethan Salas to land Bello? Do lower-level prospects like LHP Kash Mayfield, shortstop Jorge Quintana and RHP Humberto Cruz move the needle for Craig Breslow and the Red Sox?"

Kelly's clearly catering to the Padres' needs here, not the Red Sox's. But he's also likely misinterpreting previous rumors about Bello being available, and that speaks to the larger point at stake here.

The Red Sox might have been willing to move Bello -- if he could net them help at the major league level. In a package deal for an All-Star like Ketel Marte or Freddy Peralta, offloading Bello to a team that wanted controllable starting pitching made sense.

However, simply ditching a guy who put up a 3.35 ERA in 166 2/3 innings last year purely to restock the farm system makes less than no sense. And the Padres, of all teams, don't have the prospect capital to make Boston think about it.

Maybe sometime during the regular season, a trade fit will become obvious. But because there's really no other moves that would involve big names like Bello or Jarren Duran that would make sense, it's time for the trade speculation industry to rest.