4 players Pirates could claim off waivers by the end of August

John Brebbia

Aside from John Brebbia's ERA (6.26), he has some solid numbers under the hood. Brebbia has always been a good strikeout pitcher, but his 28.3% K% is right in line with the best marks of his career. He has also been good at limiting free passes and has a 7.5% BB% this year. Brebbia's 1.30 HR/9 isn't good, but he has a respectable 7.7% barrel rate, and his 12.5% HR/FB ratio indicates some bad luck.

ERA estimators like his body of work this year. Brebbia has a 3.58 xFIP and 3.12 SIERA. Along with bad flyball luck, Brebbia has a .360 opponent BABIP. The White Sox's defense makes the Pirates' look like they have Gold Glovers at all nine positions. They have -62 defensive runs saved, the fewest in baseball by a margin of 33 DRS. They are also viewed poorly by outs above average at -28 (second worst in the league), and their catchers have been the worst pitch framers with -7.9 framing runs.

Plus, at this point, Brebbia may also play better with a change of scenery. The White Sox are on pace for a historically bad season. They sport an ongoing 20-game losing streak, and have already somehow exceeded the Pirates' 2023 loss total.

The difference between Brebbia and the other names talked about today is that Brebbia isn't a pure rental. He has a team option for 2025, along with a buyout worth $1.5 million. The White Sox might look to shed Brebbia's remaining salary and pin the $1.5 million buyout/$6 million team option on another team.