Red Sox Sign 9-Year Veteran Pitcher to Add Bullpen Depth

For the second season in a row...

Mar 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher John Brebbia (49) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox aren't only rolling along at a historic winning pace this summer, but they've got one of the best bullpens in franchise history.

Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman locking down games at the back end puts Boston in an enviable position, but plenty of others have been contributing. There's also a saying that you can never have too much pitching, however, and the Red Sox want to make sure the cupboard never empties out.

On Thursday, the Red Sox added nine-year major league veteran John Brebbia on a minor-league deal. NESN's Tom Caron was the first to report the agreement, which has not been made official, via X.

Red Sox, Brebbia go for round two

Jun 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher John Brebbia (60) pitches in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brebbia, 36, pitched in three major league games for the Colorado Rockies this year before his release earlier this week. He was quite good in 13 outings in Triple-A, but gave up five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings for Colorado.

The Sharon, Mass. native also signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox last September, shortly after he was let go by the Atlanta Braves. But because of how late in the year he signed, he would have been ineligible for the postseason roster -- and he never even appeared in a game for either the major or minor-league club.

A turbulent year for Brebbia also included a release from the Rockies at the end of spring training, a very brief stint in the Minnesota Twins organization, and a two-month return to the Rockies from late May to early August.

In 379 major league appearances, Brebbia sports a career 4.21 ERA, a 16-22 record, 416 strikeouts, and four saves. His best seasons came as a rookie with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, when he had a 2.44 ERA, and with the San Francisco Giants in 2022, when he led the National League in appearances and posted a 3.18 ERA.

Are the Red Sox expecting to have Brebbia become a crucial piece of the bullpen down the stretch? No, but baseball happens, and if a few injuries occur and Brebbia performs, that's not out of the equation.