September 15, 2025
Detroit Tigers news
Former Detroit Tigers pitcher John Brebbia has signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox, just days after being designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves and electing free agency.
Brebbia has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester, where he will provide organizational depth for the final stretch of the season. While eligible to pitch in the regular season, he is not postseason-eligible.
The 35-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal with Detroit last spring. He opened the season strong, posting a 1.00 ERA with nine strikeouts in nine innings, but was sidelined in late April with a triceps strain. After returning in May, he struggled, allowing 16 runs in 9 2/3 innings, leading to his release in June.
“He’s a better pitcher than he showed,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said at the time. “It just didn’t work out. He’s a good guy and a good teammate, but we needed to open opportunities for someone else.”
Brebbia then joined the Braves on a minor-league deal and pitched well in Triple-A Gwinnett before earning a late-season call-up. He appeared in three games for Atlanta before being designated for assignment once again.
Originally a 30th-round draft pick by the Yankees in 2011, Brebbia bounced around several systems before landing with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2015 Rule 5 Draft. He became a reliable reliever there, posting a 3.14 ERA across 175 innings from 2017–2019.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery, he signed with the San Francisco Giants, where he led the National League in appearances in 2022 and set a career-best strikeout rate in 2023.
He later signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Chicago White Sox in 2024 but posted a 6.29 ERA in 48 2/3 innings before being released. He finished that season briefly with Atlanta.
Now with Boston, Brebbia will look to stabilize his career and potentially work his way back to the majors before season’s end.
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