Sox add reliever Brebbia
Reliever gets $5.5M deal with mutual ’25 option
dvanschouwen@suntimes.com | @CST_soxvan
The White Sox agreed to terms with right-handed reliever John Brebbia on a one-year contract, a team source confirmed Saturday to the Sun-Times.
The deal, which is pending a physical, is worth $5.5 million, with a $4 million salary for 2024 and a $6 million mutual option or a $1.5 million buyout for 2025, the source confirmed.
Brebbia, 33, has a 3.42 ERA and a 3.57 strikeouts-to-walks ratio during his sixyear career, the first three with the Cardinals and the last three with the Giants. He led the National League with 76 appearances in 2022.
Brebbia missed more than two months last season with a strained lat and finished with a 3.99 ERA in 40 appearances, including 10 as an opener. In 2021, he was limited to 18 games after recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2020.
Brian Bannister, the Sox’ new senior adviser to pitching, was the Giants’ director of pitching the last four seasons and was instrumental in bringing Brebbia to the South Side. He joins left-handed submariner Tim Hill as general manager Chris Getz’s offseason bullpen acquisitions.
The Sox also have acquired righthanders Erick Fedde, Chris Flexen and Michael Soroka and left-hander Jared Shuster as candidates for their rotation. Soroka and Shuster were part of the deal that sent left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer to the Braves in November.
With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training Feb. 14, the makeup of the Opening Day pitching staff is far from clear, especially with ace right-hander Dylan Cease the topic of trade discussions.
In other news, former Sox closer Sergio Santos was named manager of their Double-A Birmingham affiliate. Justin Jirschele (Triple-A Charlotte), Guillermo Quiroz (High-A Winston-Salem), Patrick Leyland (Single-A Kannapolis) and Danny Gonzalez (Arizona) are returning to their posts.
Curt Hasler, the Sox’ bullpen coach since 2017, will be an assistant minorleague pitching coordinator.