Reds sneaky trade pickup is quietly making Red Sox look ridiculous

The Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox pulled off a rather innocuous trade earlier this month. The Red Sox, needing to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, traded pitcher Brian Van Belle to the Reds in exchange for cash considerations. Boston, however, may be regretting that decision following Van Belle's latest performance for the Louisville Bats.

The right-hander, making his second start for the Bats this season, went six scoreless innings during Sunday's series finale against the St. Paul Saints. Van Belle allowed just two hits and struck out seven batters to help push the Bats to an 8-3 victory. This won't improve Craig Breslow's standing with the Boston faithful.

The Red Sox traded away their disgruntled designated hitter Rafael Devers a few weeks ago. Devers was dealt to the San Francisco Giants for a relatively light return (Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, James Tibbs III, and Jose Bello) and the Boston fanbase was none too happy. But if Van Belle continues to dominate in the minors and eventually finds his way to the major leagues, this trade might prove to be just as troublesome for Breslow and the Red Sox front office.

Reds sneaky trade for Brian Van Belle is quietly making Red Sox look ridiculous

The Red Sox signed Van Belle to a minor-league deal in 2020. Most baseball fans will remember that the abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft resulted in numerous free agent signings. Van Belle had a successful two-year stint at the University of Miami, and began his minor league career with the Red Sox organization in 2021.

Van Belle made it all the way to Triple-A Worcester in 2023 and spent all of last season in central Massachusetts going 8-2 with a 4.42 ERA and 87 punch outs over 93 ⅔ innings of work. Van Belle received a tuneup in the Puerto Rican Winter League this past offseason and posted a respectable 2.29 ERA in 12 games at Triple-A Worcester this season before the trade.

Van Belle struggled during his first game at Triple-A, allowing three runs on nine hits during a start on June 22. He did, however keep the base paths clear of free runners and struck out four. On Sunday, Van Belle was utterly dominant and gave Reds fans a glimpse of what could be on the horizon.

Van Belle is much older (28) than most pitchers who've yet to make their Major League debut, but has a vast repertoire — featuring a five-pitch mix — that keeps hitters off balance. Van Belle's bread and butter is his changeup, that he pairs with a sinker. He'll also toss in a curveball and slider along with a four-seamer.

These are the types of trades that can help the Reds throughout the rest of the 2025 season. Rather than calling upon the likes of Randy Wynne or Sam Benschoter as a spot starter, Cincinnati now has a reliable arm in the minor leagues that can give them some innings and be yo-yo'd back and forth between the Triple-A and the Major League roster. This could be another one of those sneaky victories for Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall.

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