Minnesota Twins Sign 8-Year Veteran Pitcher
A Long Road With Some Good Stops Along the Way
Brebbia is a late bloomer's late bloomer.
He was a 30th-round New York Yankees draft pick in 2011, didn't make his MLB debut until two days before his 27th birthday with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, and that first season (a 2.44 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 51 and two-thirds innings) was arguably the best of his career.
He spent three years in St. Louis, posting a 3.14 ERA across 175 innings before Tommy John surgery in June 2020 ended that chapter.
Twins signed veteran relievers John Brebbia and Drew Smith to minor league deals. They'll join Triple-A St. Paul's bullpen.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) March 29, 2026
Brebbia is 35, with 378 innings across eight MLB seasons.
Smith is 32, with 196 innings across six MLB seasons. He's coming back from Tommy John surgery.
The San Francisco Giants picked him up the following offseason, and after a rough return to the mound in 2021, he bounced back with two solid seasons, leading the National League in appearances with 76 games in 2022.
His arsenal is built around a low-to-mid-90s four-seamer and a mid-80s slider, with a changeup and curveball mixed in. He's not going to blow anyone away, but when he's locating and keeping the ball in the park, he can be a useful middle reliever.
What Went Wrong and Why the Twins Are Still Taking a Chance
The last two years have been rough.
Brebbia posted a 6.29 ERA with the Chicago White Sox in 2024, largely the result of nine home runs in under 49 innings, and then signed with Detroit last year, making just 18 games due to a triceps strain, and finishing with a 7.71 ERA split between the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves.
He went to Colorado Rockies camp this spring, hoping to reset, allowed seven runs in nine innings including three home runs, and was cut before Opening Day.
The Twins signed him anyway, one day after also adding righty Drew Smith, because that's just where this bullpen is right now.
NEWS
— SleeperTwins (@SleeperMLBTwins) March 26, 2026
The #MNTwins are adding veteran right-handed reliever John Brebbia on a minor league contract.
35-year old has a career 4.04 ERA but has struggled in recent seasons. pic.twitter.com/fBMZZwG1Sb
Minnesota is leaning heavily on Taylor Rogers and Cole Sands in late innings and doesn't have much margin for error behind them. The Sunday meltdown against Baltimore that dropped the club to 1-2 made the need obvious.
Brebbia's strikeout rates have remained decent even through the rough stretches (26.9 percent with the White Sox, 26 percent last season), which suggests the stuff is still there.
The home run and health issues are the real concern. If he can get those under control in St. Paul, there's a path back to the majors for a bullpen that will almost certainly need reinforcements before long.
Photo Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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