Detroit Tigers reliever John Brebbia, 34, has officially signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves, the team confirmed on June 24. Brebbia was released by Detroit earlier this month after being designated for assignment on June 15 and clearing waivers on June 19
Brebbia began the 2025 season with the Tigers on a one‑year, $2.75 million deal (including a 2026 club option), but the right‑hander struggled to a 7.71 ERA across 19 appearances. He was placed on the injured list in April with a forearm strain before being DFA’d mid‑June
With Brebbia’s departure, Detroit has looked to retool its bullpen mix. Meanwhile, the Braves have added veteran depth and experience by bringing him into their minor league system. The deal comes amid a flurry of bullpen transactions by Atlanta this year, as they’ve juggled several veteran arms like Craig Kimbrel and Joe Jiménez .
Brebbia’s MLB career includes stints with St. Louis, San Francisco, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta and Detroit. He inked a minor league deal with the Braves in late August 2024 and briefly pitched in five major league games, posting a 2.70 ERA over 3⅓ innings
Brebbia now joins Atlanta’s bullpen depth chart in Triple‑A Gwinnett. If he can regain form, he could be in line for a midseason promotion, especially given the Braves’ persistent shuffling and need for reliable relief options
For Brebbia, this marks another opportunity to stabilize his career after a rough start to 2025 in Detroit. If he can harness the Braves’ developmental support, he may carve out a late‑season return to the big league
