When you are at the point of the baseball calendar that we are right now where striking trades can be difficult with most teams still in it, address roster needs can be difficult and require some creativity. The Atlanta Braves very obviously need bullpen help, but the teams with arms worth having aren't motivated to move them at the moment. However, the Braves hopefully may have found at least a partial solution with a recently released reliever.
With a critical matchup against the Mets and Frankie Montas making his 2025 debut. Atlanta made a sneaky move to sign reliever John Brebbia to a minor league deal.
Braves ink old friend John Brebbia to a minor league deal
If Brebbia's name is familiar to you, your memory is pretty good as he did play for the Braves last season, although he only made five mostly good appearances for the team after Atlanta similarly scooped him up after he got let go by the White Sox.
This season, Brebbia has struggled to do much of anything. In addition to dealing with a triceps injury this season, Brebbia hasn't pitched well when he has been on the mound with a 7.71 ERA in 19 appearances with the Tigers this season. His underlying metrics don't look much better, but Atlanta does at least know him and could have a sense of how to best employ him.
More importantly, this is just a minor league deal and there is no sense, at least at the moment, that the Braves are going to turn to Brebbia immediately. If he pitches well down in the minors, he could earn a chance at a roster spot in a bullpen that needs some serious help. If he struggles, then no harm done.