The Tigers have designated right-hander John Brebbia for project, in response to a number of Detroit beat writers. Proper-hander Tyler Owens was known as up from Triple-A Toledo within the corresponding transfer.
Brebbia signed a one-year, $2.75MM free agent contract with the Tigers in February, incomes $2.25MM in 2025 with a $500K buyout of a $4MM membership possibility for the 2026 season. It appeared like an honest funding in a veteran who has been a reasonably dependable bullpen arm for many of his profession, and Brebbia’s shakier leads to 2024 (a 5.86 ERA in 55 1/3 innings) may very well be partially ascribed to Brebbia spending most of his season with an infamously unhealthy White Sox group.
Sadly for Brebbia, issues haven’t labored out in 2025. The righty has a 7.71 ERA over 18 2/3 innings for Detroit, with lots of laborious contact allowed and an 11.8% stroll charge that’s far past the profession 7.3BB% Brebbia had posted heading into the season. Past these rougher superior metrics, Brebbia has additionally run into some unhealthy luck for the second straight season, within the type of a .339 BABIP and a really low 56.6% strand charge. Brebbia’s 4.32 SIERA is way more flattering than his real-world ERA, and akin to how his 3.29 SIERA in 2024 was far decrease than his 5.86 ERA.
He additionally spent simply shy of three weeks on the injured listing because of a triceps pressure, and that IL stint seems to have thrown Brebbia’s season off-kilter. The reliever had a glowing 1.00 ERA in 9 innings (eight appearances) previous to his IL stint, however he has been torched for a 13.97 ERA in 9 2/3 innings and 11 appearances since his return to the mound. Issues actually significantly went south for Brebbia in his final two outings, as he has allowed six runs over 1 1/3 innings within the final two days.
This was apparently sufficient to persuade Detroit to maneuver on, and in all chance the Tigers will eat the remaining cash owed on Brebbia’s contract. If one other membership trades for Brebbia throughout his DFA interval or places in a waiver declare, the brand new group would assume the remainder of his wage. Ought to Brebbia clear waivers, Detroit is on the hook for the remaining wage, and a brand new group who signed Brebbia afterwards would owe him simply the prorated portion of the MLB minimal wage. Brebbia has sufficient of a resume that he’ll most likely quickly land elsewhere on a minor league deal, because the 35-year-old will attempt to get his season on monitor with a change of surroundings.
