Rockies Acquire Left-Hander Brennan Bernardino in Trade with Red Sox
DENVER – The Colorado Rockies have bolstered their bullpen,acquiring left-handed pitcher Brennan Bernardino from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor league infielder/outfielder Braiden Ward,as reported by Hunter Noll of beyond the Monster and Chris Cotillo of MassLive. the move provides the Rockies with a proven, if recently declining, relief option.
Bernardino, 34, has logged between 50 and 52 innings for Boston each of the past three seasons, posting a 3.46 ERA with a 23.6% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate over 153 1/3 innings. While a valuable find for the Mariners in 2022, his recent performance shows a slight downturn; his sinker velocity dipped from 91.4 mph in 2024 to 90.7 mph this past season,accompanied by a decrease in strikeout rate (24.8% to 19.6%) and an increase in walk rate (9.7% to 11.6%).
The Rockies will have control of Bernardino for four additional seasons. He is projected to earn $1.1MM in arbitration this season, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, and as a Super Two player, would be eligible for three further raises should Colorado retain him through his entire six-year window of control.
In return, Boston receives Braiden Ward, a 26-year-old originally drafted by Colorado in the 16th round of the 2021 draft. Ward hit .290/.395/.391 in 368 plate appearances across Double-A and Triple-A last year, demonstrating a strong plate discipline with a 16.6% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate. A versatile player, ward primarily plays center field but has also seen time at second base and possesses plus speed.he is eligible for next month’s Rule 5 Draft, though the Red Sox reportedly believe he will not be selected.