May 26, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Boston Red Sox hat during warmups prior the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Red Sox Add Pitching Depth With 8-Year MLB Veteran, Local Boy

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 12:02 PM ET

The deadline for a player to sign with a Major League Baseball team and be playoff-eligible has come and gone, but the Boston Red Sox are still busy.

On Friday afternoon, NESN's Tom Caron reported that the Red Sox are signing veteran relief pitcher John Brebbia to a minor league deal after he elected free agency from the Atlanta Braves.

"Brebbia - a Sharon, MA native - has signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox per sources," Caron said.

With the reported deal, Brebbia isn't eligible for the Red Sox's playoff roster, if of course, Boston does land a spot in the postseason. It's significantly more likely than not that the Red Sox will get a playoff spot, but until it is confirmed, anything could happen.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly made a move

Brebbia is an eight-year big league veteran with experience under his belt with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and the Braves. He began his big league career with a bang back in 2017 with St. Louis. As a rookie, he pitched in 50 games out of the bullpen and had a 2.44 ERA. The best stint of his career was in St. Louis. In three seasons, he had a 3.14 ERA across 161 appearances.

The 2025 season hasn't been kind to him, though. He appeared in 22 total games with the Tigers and the Braves and had a 7.71 ERA and 26-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 23 1/3 innings pitched.

With this reported move, the Red Sox aren't adding someone who can impact the team in the postseason this year, but if things go well, maybe someone who could play a role with the big league club in 2026. With his signing, he isn't eligible for the playoff roster because it is after the September 1st deadline, but he could still appear in games down the stretch if the team saw fit and made a reflective transaction. For example, back in 2021, the Red Sox signed veteran infielder José Iglesias on Sept. 6th so he wasn't eligible for the playoff roster, but he played a lot down the stretch that year in the regular season.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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