The Rockies announced three roster moves on Sunday, including the selection of John Brebbia‘s contract from Triple-A Albuquerque. (Thomas Harding of MLB.com noted earlier today that Brebbia had a locker in the Colorado clubhouse.) In a related move, the Rox put up a right-hander. Blas Castano on the 15-day list injured due to right pectoral stiffness, and left hand Sammy Peralta he was chosen for the assignment.
A veteran of eight major league seasons, Brebbia will be in his ninth year making his first appearance in a Rockies uniform. Brebbia signed a minor league deal with Colorado in December, but was released before Opening Day, as the right-hander then signed a minor league deal with the Twins. That success didn’t lead to any calls to the majors, so Brebbia activated his opt-out clause last month to return to the open market, and Rox came calling again for a new major league contract in late May.
After posting a 6.20 ERA over 20 1/3 innings with the Twins’ Triple-A ownership, Brebbia’s time in Albuquerque was a big improvement. Brebbia threw nine scoreless innings in seven appearances, recording 10 strikeouts while allowing just six hits and no walks.
The Rockies naturally don’t expect such a shutout job, but would be happy if Brebbia can recapture some of his past form as a reliable bullpen arm with the Cardinals and Giants. The results haven’t been there for Brebbia the last two years, as he posted a 6.41 ERA over 78 2/3 innings with the White Sox, Braves, and Tigers in the 2024-25 seasons.
Peralta was claimed off waivers by the Brewers in early April, and has a 10.13 ERA over 2 2/3 innings and two games for Colorado between four different back-and-forth options from Triple-A. With Peralta also struggling to a 5.06 ERA over 32 innings in Albuquerque, the Rockies opted for the DFA route and the possibility that Peralta could leave the organization. Because Peralta has been a target in the past, he could choose free agency over another target if he clears waivers.
Despite having a 5.40 ERA over 48 1/3 innings in MLB and a 4.79 ERA in 229 1/3 innings in Triple-A, Peralta has been called up four different times in his career. He showed excellent control and flashes of hitting ability in the minors, while also pitching a lot of innings during his prime. It’s possible another team might want Peralta again, perhaps thinking his poor 2026 numbers could be offset by jumping to friendly locations.
Castano made his MLB debut in one game with the Mariners last season, and the Rockies claimed him in April. Since arriving in Colorado, Castano has been a respectable arm for the Rox bullpen, posting a 3.92 ERA, 48.3% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate over 20 2/3 innings, albeit with a 20% strikeout rate. Castano has become an elite professional as his career has progressed, although hitters have done some damage this year (four homers allowed) when they have been able to launch Castano’s offerings through the air.
