Rockies re-sign reliever to minor league contract

The Colorado Rockies on Thursday brought veteran right-handed reliever John Brebbia back on a minor league contract, less than a week after he elected free agency. The 36-year-old will report to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Brebbia’s latest return comes after Colorado designated him for assignment when the team promoted former first-round pick Gabriel Hughes. He had originally signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in late May and earned another trip to the majors after a strong run at Triple-A. During that brief MLB run, he appeared in three games, allowing five earned runs on seven hits across 4 1/3 innings while recording two strikeouts. He relied primarily on his slider and a fastball that averaged 92 mph.

Across nine major league seasons, Brebbia owns a 4.12 ERA in just under 400 innings. He first earned recognition as a dependable bullpen arm with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he compiled a 3.14 ERA and struck out 198 batters over 175 innings during parts of three seasons from 2017-19. His rookie campaign in 2017 was especially impressive, as he finished with a 2.44 ERA, 51 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings and led all MLB rookie relievers in both ERA and WHIP.

Brebbia has spent time with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, and Colorado during his major league career. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020, he returned to pitch for the Giants and later logged a league-leading 76 appearances in 2022 while posting a 3.18 ERA over 68 innings.

This season, Brebbia has split his time between the Triple-A affiliates of the Minnesota Twins and Rockies. In 29 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level, he owns a 4.30 ERA while striking out 29 percent of opposing hitters. Before his recent promotion to Colorado, he also made seven scoreless appearances for Albuquerque, amassing 10 strikeouts in nine innings.

Although the Rockies remain at the bottom of the National League standings, the organization has opted to retain the veteran reliever, providing him another opportunity to earn his way back to the major league bullpen while adding experienced depth at Triple-A.