BOSTON — With injuries thinning out their upper-level pitching depth, the Red Sox made a move this week to bring in some reinforcements — though with a notable limitation attached.
The club has signed veteran right-hander John Brebbia to a minor-league deal, and he will report to Triple-A Worcester, a source confirmed Saturday. NESN’s Tom Caron was the first to report the signing on Friday. Because the deal was finalized after September 1, Brebbia will not be eligible for the postseason roster. Still, he can be called up at any point during the stretch run if Boston finds itself in need of another bullpen arm.
For Brebbia, the move represents a homecoming. Born in Boston and raised in nearby Sharon, he attended Sharon High School for three years before relocating to Florida for his senior year. He went on to pitch at Elon University before being drafted in the 30th round by the Yankees in 2011. More than a decade later, he has carved out a journeyman’s career, appearing in the majors for five different teams and establishing himself as a reliable, if unspectacular, reliever.
Across 376 career big-league outings (including 21 starts), Brebbia owns a 4.04 ERA with stints on the Cardinals, Giants, White Sox, Braves, and Tigers. His most stable years came with St. Louis and San Francisco, where he was often used in middle-to-late inning relief roles.
This season, however, has been a struggle. After signing a one-year, $2.75 million deal with Detroit last winter, Brebbia never found his footing, posting a 7.71 ERA in 19 appearances before being released in June. He latched on with the Braves organization and pitched at Triple-A Gwinnett but faltered in a brief three-game call-up, ultimately being designated for assignment once again. In total, he has allowed 20 earned runs in 23⅓ innings this year, with 26 strikeouts against 12 walks.
Despite those struggles, Boston views Brebbia as useful organizational depth at a time when injuries have taken a toll. In the last 10 days, the Red Sox have lost Jordan Hicks, Dustin May, and Brennan Bernardino to the injured list, leaving the bullpen thin and forcing manager Alex Cora to get creative with his late-inning options.
Brebbia’s experience — and his ability to handle both middle relief and spot-start duty — gives Worcester and Boston another layer of coverage in case the injury bug continues to bite. While he won’t be part of any October plans, his signing provides insurance as the Red Sox try to navigate the final weeks of the regular season.
