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Popular former SF Giants reliever lands on his feet with Braves after release

The reliever was not without a team for long.
ByNick San Miguel|
Apr 12, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher John Brebbia (49) and catcher Tomas Nido (50) celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher John Brebbia (49) and catcher Tomas Nido (50) celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images | Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

Former SF Giants reliever John Brebbia was recently released by the Detroit Tigers, but he was scooped up by the Atlanta Braves on a minor league contract. The popular reliever has at the very least landed on his feet.

Brebbia had a rough time in Detroit. In 18 and 2/3 innings pitched, he had a 7.71 ERA. Those struggles are what got him let go by Detroit, but Atlanta was willing to take a chance on him.

Former SF Giants reliever lands on his feet with Braves

The reason the Braves were willing to sign him is likely because he pitched quite well for Atlanta last season. Brebbia began 2024 with the Chicago White Sox but was designated for assignment in August. Atlanta picked him up and he had a respectable 2.70 ERA in five appearances.

Giants fans will remember Brebbia from his time with the Giants from 2021 to 2023. They signed him in late 2020 after a few solid seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was coming off an injury so he struggled a little bit in his first season with San Francisco as he had a 5.89 ERA in 18 and 1/3 innings.

However, Brebbia followed up that rough first season with a very solid 2022. In a league-leading 76 appearances, Brebbia had a 3.18 ERA in 68 innings pitched. He followed that up with a solid 2023 in which he dealt with an injury, but he still had a 3.99 ERA in 40 appearances and 38 and 1/3 innings pitched.

Brebbia was also used as an opener quite a few times by the Giants which is a strategy they employed quite a lot during the Gabe Kapler and Farhan Zaidi era. He made 11 starts in 2022 and 10 starts in 2023.

One of his starts in 2023 led to a very interesting exchange between he and manager Gabe Kapler on the mound. The Giants let him pitch into the second inning and with one out Kapler came to take Brebbia out of the game but he tried to hide the ball so he did not have to hand it over.

Brebbia certainly was a character with San Francisco. By most accounts he was a funny and popular presence in the clubhouse. He also had a fun tradition where he would shave his beard before Opening Day every season but would then let his facial hair grow the rest of the season. That is why his beard is fairly bushy in the video above given that game was in September.

It is nice to see Brebbia get another opportunity with a team. Even though he struggled with Detroit, maybe going back to Atlanta can help him get back on track.

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