The Boston Red Sox's once-ample pitching depth has been worn thin with two weeks of the season to go. They signed some bullpen help on September 12 before their series opener against the New York Yankees.
The Red Sox and reliever John Brebbia have agreed to a minor-league deal, according to NESN host/announcer Tom Caron. Brebbia was born in Boston and grew up in Sharon, MA, so his contract with the Red Sox brings him close to home.
Brebbia is an eight-year MLB veteran and he's appeared in the big leagues for the Tigers and Braves this year. He didn't last long with either team, though — he posted a 7.71 ERA with both squads, over 18.2 innings with the Tigers and just 4.2 with the Braves. Atlanta designated Brebbia for assignment on September 8 and elected free agency two days later.
Brebbia is a career 4.04 ERA pitcher over 378.1 innings across his eight seasons in the major leagues. He's struggled to limit damage in his two most recent seasons, although he's posted a small sample size of innings in 2025. Last year, he clocked a 5.86 ERA with 67 strikeouts and 19 walks in 55.1 frames between the White Sox and Braves.
Red Sox and John Brebbia agree to minor league deal as Boston's pitching staff battles injuries
Brebbia - a Sharon, MA native - has signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox per sources. #RedSox https://t.co/IKHCVtSlvW
— Tom Caron (@TomCaron) September 12, 2025
The righty pitched with Triple-A Gwinnett, the Braves' affiliate, from late June in to August, and fared well. He posted a 1.89 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP with 21 strikeouts and three walks in 19 innings.
Brebbia's performance this year and last season haven't been great, but the Red Sox are growing desperate for bullpen depth. Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts and Dustin May are on the injured list, and they each could've moved between the rotation and bullpen if they were healthy. Cooper Criswell, one of the Sox's most used depth arms since last season, is also on the IL, alongside Jordan Hicks and Luis Guerrero.
The saying "you can never have enough pitching" suits this move well. Brebbia doesn't move the needle to improve Boston's bullpen, but sometimes, teams just need an arm to throw out there. He's a solid post-trade deadline reinforcement, and more depth is always good — the Red Sox should take anything they can get.