The Giants made another under-the-radar addition to their bullpen Monday by signing former Cardinals reliever John Brebbia to a one-year, $800,000 contract.
Brebbia, a 30-year-old right-hander, won’t be joining the team any time soon, though. He’s expected miss about half the season while he recovers from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in June.
Brebbia was a reliable part of the Cardinals’ bullpen for the last three seasons before being non-tendered by St. Louis earlier this month. In 175 innings with the Cardinals from 2017-19, Brebbia pitched to a 3.14 ERA/3.39 FIP while averaging 10.18 K/9 and 2.79 BB/9.
OFFICIAL: #SFGiants have signed RHP John Brebbia to a one-year Major League contract for the 2021 season. pic.twitter.com/PbGJTyv9ic
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) December 21, 2020
Scouts say Brebbia has an above-average slider and fastball, which averages about 94 mph but is a swing-and-miss pitch because of its movement.
This was the third low-risk, high-reward move the Giants have made in the past two weeks to try to upgrade their bullpen. They signed former Braves right-hander Matt Wisler to a one-year, $1.15 deal on Dec. 8 and, two days later selected 24-year-old righty Dedniel Nunez from the Mets in the Rule V draft.
Brebbia is expected to spend a significant portion of the 2021 season on the injured list, but the Giants’ investment in him could be a long-term one since he’ll still be arbitration eligible through the 2023 season.
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Author: Jon Becker
