SF Giants Sign Former St. Louis Cardinals Reliever John Brebbia

The SF Giants have signed right-handed reliever John Brebbia to a one-year, $800,000 contract. He was in the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen last season.

According to the SF Giants, the team has signed relief pitcher John Brebbia to a one-year, $800,000 major-league contract. Brebbia made his big-league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals and spent 2017-2019 in their bullpen. However, he underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the start of the 2020 season.

Prior to the first COVID-19 shutdowns of Spring Training, Brebbia first injured his elbow but attempted to avoid Tommy John by undergoing platelet-rich injection (PRP) treatment. After his progress stalled though, he finally went under the knife on June 1st. Since recovery time tends to take 12-14 months, Brebbia will likely miss the first half of next season but could be a strong addition to the pen for the stretch run.

Brebbia has a usual fastball/slider combo, but unlike the team’s recent trend, both pitches are above-average. While his fastball only averages around 94 mph, it generates elite vertical movement and consistently generates a solid amount of swings and misses while also limiting hard contact. His slider is another strong offering that remains effective even though he has thrown it nearly 50% of the time over his career.

Over his career, Brebbia’s recorded a 3.14 ERA across 175 innings with 198 strikeouts, 54 walks, and just 139 hits. His peripheral numbers have always viewed his work favorably as well, FIP estimates his career performance in line with a 3.39 ERA. Had he not suffered an injury this season, he was in a position to compete for the Cardinals’ closer role.

While SF Giants fans are obviously still waiting for a bigger name, the front office continues improving the depth at the margins of the roster. After adding Matt Wisler earlier this offseason, the team has added another strong right-handed arm to their bullpen. While Tommy John surgery will limit John Brebbia in 2021, he was a fixture at the back of the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen prior to his injury and could fill a similar role for the Giants next year.