Cardinals fan favorite's downward spiral continues with minor-league Rockies deal

There have been a number of great players who have played for both the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies, from Nolan Arenado and Matt Holliday to long-time set-up man Jason Motte.

Now, there's another player angling to join that list, as former Cardinals reliever John Brebbia is signing a minor-league deal with the Rockies in a last-ditch attempt to save his MLB career.

A fan-favorite of Redbird Nation from 2017-19, the facial hair guru has struggled in recent years following his prime with the Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. Now, he'll try to survive in baseball's most unfriendly pitching environment.

Former Cardinals reliever John Brebbia on last legs with Rockies

From 2017-19, Brebbia was one of the most dependable relievers in baseball, firing off a 3.14 ERA in 175.0 innings. He looked to be a key cog in the Cardinals' long-term bullpen plans, even as a late bloomer.

Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery and the pandemic season in 2020 all but wiped out his rising stock, and the Cardinals non-tendered him in a controversial decision following the shortened campaign.

That led the right-hander to the Giants, where he again thrived. Brebbia compiled a 3.83 ERA in 134 appearances in San Francisco from 2021-23, reaching free agency as a veteran reliever with a proven track record.

Unfortunately, he went to the wasteland that was the 2024 Chicago White Sox, and he simply hasn't recovered. He produced a 6.29 ERA in the first half with the Pale Hose, emerging as a reclamation project at the trade deadline that the Cardinals reportedly were interested in.

That didn't materialize, though, and after a brief (but successful) stint with the Atlanta Braves to close out that season, Brebbia went to the Detroit Tigers in 2025 and continued to struggle. The Braves tried to resuscitate him once again, but their magic failed and he ended the season with a 7.71 ERA.

At 35 years old and with two straight years of struggles on his résumé, Brebbia was always going to have to settle for a minor-league deal to keep his career going. Unfortunately, he signed with the Rockies, which could prove disastrous. His biggest issue in recent years has been the long ball (16 home runs allowed in less than 80 innings), and Coors Field isn't exactly known for helping out pitchers.

Alas, this is simply the route some guys have to take to keep the dream alive. Brebbia was effective as recently as 2023, and if he can rediscover his form from St. Louis, he could prove to be one of the smartest signings of the offseason.