As the Atlanta Braves continue to find themselves stuck a tier below mediocrity, one of the better stories to emerge is the Detroit Tigers.
The perpetually rebuilding franchise has finally turned a corner and become one of the best teams in the American League. It is a fun twist that has included the return of Javier Baez, who has turned back the clock to his days with the Chicago Cubs. All of this has given the Tigers an understandable sense of urgency when it comes to who deserves patience and who must be removed from the active roster.
This explains why former Braves pitcher John Brebbia was designated for assignment on Sunday. The reliever has bounced around the league after starting his career with the New York Yankees, spending time with the Cardinals, Giants, White Sox, Braves, and Tigers. The veteran's demotion doesn't come as a surprise, considering the 7.71 ERA Brebbia has offered since returning from last month
Former Braves Reliever John Brebbia DFA'd by Tigers on Sunday
For Atlanta fans who don't remember the reliever, his time with the franchise was brief. It came in a season when the team still cared about having proven bullpen arms to lean on throughout the season. The veteran appeared in five games for the Braves and posted a respectable 2.70 ERA in his time with the franchise.
Despite this, there simply isn't any reason to consider a reunion with Brebbia's current level of play. The Braves must be focused on either spending top dollar to surge or looking to go in the other direction. The team has treated its recent bullpen additions poorly, with Scott Blewett and Craig Kimbrel serving as examples. Both veteran pitchers deserved better than the way they were treated by a once-proud franchise.
The Braves need to go out and spend on the trade market in an attempt to fix the glaring issue that is the Atlanta bullpen. If they're unwilling to make this move, the better decision is to sell off veteran pieces and look to build towards next season. Either way, Brebbia isn't factoring into Atlanta's plans in the 2025 season.