The Red Sox have signed right-hander John Brebbia to a minor league deal, according to NESN’s Tom Caron. Brebbia wasn’t on the open market for long, as it was just two days ago that he elected free agency rather than an accept an outright assignment to the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate.
The signing is a homecoming for Brebbia, who was born in Boston and grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts. Perhaps the return to familiar surroundings will help turn around what has been a difficult year for Brebbia, who has a 7.71 ERA over 23 1/3 combined innings with the Tigers and Braves.
After inking a one-year, $2.75MM free agent deal with Detroit, Brebbia was designated for assignment and subsequently released in June after struggling badly over 19 appearances in a Tigers uniform. The Braves inked him to a minors deal shortly thereafter and selected his contract to the majors at the end of August, but Brebbia had a 7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings and three games. Atlanta designated Brebbia for assignment earlier this week, and (unsurprisingly) he cleared waivers, resulting in Brebbia opting for free agency.
Since the Tigers are responsible for the bulk of Brebbia’s remaining salary, the Red Sox will owe him only the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary for any time the reliever might spend on Boston’s active roster. (Brebbia’s contract also includes a $4MM club option for 2026, yet that option is sure to be declined.) Because he is joining the organization after August 31, Brebbia isn’t eligible for postseason play.
For the cost of next to nothing, the Red Sox aren’t risking much in bringing Brebbia aboard as a depth arm for the remainder of September. A big spike in home run rate has led to a lot of struggles for Brebbia over the last two seasons, but he was a mostly effective bullpen arm earlier in his career with the Cardinals and Giants. There’s not a ton of time left in 2025 to see if Brebbia can get things turned around, but if nothing else, his time in the Sox organization could serve as an audition for another minor league deal this winter.