The Atlanta Braves aren’t just limping toward the finish line, they’re dragging what’s left of a battered bullpen and a broken season behind them. With a 64-79 record heading into the new week, playoff hopes were extinguished weeks ago. Now, it’s about surviving September and figuring out who is worth bringing back for 2026.
The latest casualty in this grim end-of-season evaluation? Right-handed reliever John Brebbia was designated for assignment after just three appearances in his second stint with Atlanta.
Brebbia, an eight-year MLB veteran, was signed to a minor league deal back in June in a move that felt like a mix of familiarity and desperation. He’d ended the 2024 season with Atlanta on a high note, tossing 6.2 innings with nine strikeouts and only two earned runs. It was enough to earn another shot — but only just.
Brebbia’s Journey to the Braves
That brief flash from last year proved to be little more than a memory. In 2025, Brebbia bounced between organizations, getting roughed up in Detroit to the tune of a 7.71 ERA in 22 appearances before landing back in Atlanta. But the reunion didn’t revive the magic. In 4.2 innings across three outings, Brebbia gave up four earned runs, including two home runs, and never quite looked in rhythm.
The Braves didn’t wait long. With their eyes already scanning for next season’s diamonds in the rough, the team moved quickly to replace Brebbia with 28-year-old righty Alexis Díaz, claimed off waivers from the Dodgers over the weekend. It’s a clear signal: if you can’t flash upside, you’re not making it through September in this clubhouse.
For Brebbia, now 33, the path forward is uncertain. Once a steady presence with the Giants (3.47 ERA over 116 games in 2022–23), the wheels came off after a rocky 2024 in Chicago and more struggles this year. He’ll now hit the waiver wire again, hoping someone sees value where the Braves no longer do.
Atlanta, meanwhile, keeps spinning the bullpen carousel — not for October, but for whatever comes next.
