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Red Sox trade for lefty reliever in deal with Pirates

BOSTON — The Red Sox acquired left-handed reliever Joe La Sorsa from the Pirates on Thursday.

Boston sent cash to Pittsburgh.

La Sorsa, 28, will be activated on Friday when the Sox open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. He will take Brayan Bello’s spot on the roster. The Red Sox optioned Bello to Triple-A Worcester after his poor start Thursday.

La Sorsa had spent this entire season to date with Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate, Indianapolis. He posted a 3.46 ERA in 22 outings, including two starts. He struck out 22 batters and walked six in 26 innings while holding opponents to a .237 batting average.

He has made 46 major league relief appearances across three seasons, posting a 5.21 ERA (57 innings, 33 earned runs), 5.39 FIP and 1.37 WHIP. He pitched for the Rays and Nationals in 2023, the Nationals in 2024 and the Reds in 2025.

The 6-foot-5, 224-pounder also pitched for Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, allowing two runs in 2 ⅔ innings.

He was an 18th-round pick in the 2018 draft out of St. John’s. He throws a sinker, four-seam fastball, sweeper, changeup and cutter, according to his Baseball Savant page.