​The Colorado Rockies have re-signed a right-handed reliever after he had been designated for assignment and outrighted off the roster. On Thursday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported that John Brebbia has agreed to a minor league deal with the NL West club. Brebbia has spent parts of nine seasons in the Majors, and in his first stint with the Rockies he allowed five earned runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings. The 36-year-old emerged as a valuable bullpen arm for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, posting a 3.14 ERA and striking out 198 batters over 175 innings across parts of three seasons with the team. MLB Trade Rumors’ Anthony Franco noted that Brebbia has been a solid middle reliever for the Cardinals and Giants early in his career but has bounced around as a journeyman in recent seasons. He also pointed out that Brebbia has struggled to keep the ball in the park and has seen his velocity decline as he moved into his mid-30s.
The Rockies sit at the bottom of the NL standings, and there’s little downside in giving Brebbia another chance to prove himself. In Triple-A this season, Brebbia has worked 29.1 innings and struck out 29% of the batters he has faced. The situation in the majors remains fluid, and Brebbia’s experience could provide the Rockies with a versatile option out of the bullpen if he earns his way back to the big league roster. The headlines around the baseball world continue to swirl with stories about the Dodgers and Yankees pursuing Tarik Skubal, the Phillies navigating a potential Byron Buxton trade, and the ongoing discussions about how Joe Ryan’s performances are resonating with Boston’s front office. In the wider context of MLB’s seasonal movements, the Brebbia addition represents a practical move for Colorado as they look to stabilize or rebuild down the stretch as they work to climb back up the standings.