MLB Notebook: Red Sox’ Payton Tolle spring debut, Union shakeup builds CBA drama, and buzz around the league

The Red Sox opened their Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday afternoon with Payton Tolle on the mound, looking to earn a spot in the back of the rotation for 2026.

For Tolle, it was the first spring training game of his career, which is rare considering he made his big league debut last summer and pitched in the postseason against the Yankees in October. Tolle, the organization’s top pitching prospect, threw 20 pitches in the outing, going 2 1/3 innings, allowing one hit — a home run to the Twins’ Royce Lewis — with one strikeout and no walks in Boston’s 7-2 win over Minnesota.

“I haven’t done the other one,” Tolle said to reporters after his outing. “We have a great clubhouse, so being able to come back this spring and be comfortable with everybody has been huge for me. I have better relationships with guys, can kind of be myself more, ask more questions, and I’m going to pitch my best whenever I’m comfortable.

“It’s exciting to be part of the club early (in the season), so now we’ll build relationships throughout the year. That’s when baseball gets really fun, when you’re playing with your homies.”

Tolle threw nine four-seamers, three sinkers, three curveballs, two changeups, two cutters, and one slider. Of his two swings and misses, one was on a sinker, and the other was off a cutter.

“It was a process,” Tolle said of his offseason to reporters. “Changeups, curveballs, adding the sinker in there. Trying to prioritize those and really hammer in having things that are going to protect the fastball. So that’s going to be the big thing this year — trying to execute those along with executing the fastballs where I need to execute them. I’m excited about where I’m at with my stuff. Obviously, you can keep getting better.”

Tolle is looking to secure a spot in the back of the rotation behind Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, and Brayan Bello, who are all locked into spots. His competition for the No. 5 spot in the rotation includes Johan Oviedo, who the Sox acquired from the Pirates in the offseason; Kutter Crawford, who is coming off a washed-out 2025 season; and fellow southpaws Connelly Early and Patrick Sandoval.

“I like to view it as a competition, just because that’s how we’re going to make each other better,” Tolle said. “Whether that’s with Kutter (Crawford) or Connelly (Early) or (Patrick) Sandoval, whoever it is, we’re all fighting for that fifth spot, and in the long run, that’s going to make us better.

“Everybody wants to be part of a starting five, so I’ll just try to do what I can, day after day. It’s a process that’s fun to be part of, and I think that’s what makes everybody better.”

If Tolle is going to be effective in the majors, he’s going to need to utilize his secondary pitches better, and his first spring outing was a step in the right direction.

“I didn’t feel like I had the (two-strike) kill that I wanted to,” said Tolle, who allowed a solo homer to Royce Lewis in the first inning before tossing a scoreless second. “I attacked the zone and had more feel for curveballs and changeups. I got ahead, but then I need to execute better.”

Tolle worked out at a facility in Oklahoma City called “PitchingWRX,” where all the required technology — plus some tutelage from the coaches there — let him know his progress in real time.

“I started off with having bad misses,” Tolle said. “I was pitching the changeup arm-side, yanking a curveball way down, floating a curveball. Now I’m to the point where I can diagnose my misses. If I push a changeup too high, I can now make the adjustment.”

Bello Added Muscle

Bello checked into camp at 205 pounds, the same weight he was last season, but looks bigger, having added muscle over the winter.

“I feel the same,” the right-hander said. “Maybe a little stronger.”

Bello, 26, is coming off a strong season in which he posted a 3.35 ERA while logging a career-high 166 2/3 innings. His 2025 campaign included a brief stint on the injured list due to right shoulder soreness, but once healthy, the right-hander showed extended flashes of effectiveness. From mid-June through August, Bello was dominant, posting a 2.42 ERA and 3.80 FIP while striking out 71 batters and walking just 22 over 14 starts. 

Nine of those hits left the yard, but despite the modest strikeout totals, Bello remained effective by limiting damage and keeping his FIP under 4.00. That stretch included a July 8 complete game against Colorado, when Bello struck out 10 batters while allowing just one walk and five hits. 

However, Bello’s postseason performance raised legitimate questions. In Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium, he struggled under the bright lights following Boston’s Game 1 win and a dominant outing from Crochet.

In his first career postseason start, Bello cracked, lasting just 2 1/3 innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits and a walk. He did not record a strikeout. The right-hander ran into trouble immediately, surrendering a first-inning home run to Ben Rice, and threw only 28 pitches before Alex Cora turned to the bullpen. 

The outing was particularly surprising given