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Brewers Add Pitching Depth, Sign Gerson Garabito and Drew Rom to Minor League Deals
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- Brewers Add Pitching Depth, Sign Gerson Garabito and Drew Rom to Minor League Deals
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The Milwaukee Brewers continue to stockpile pitching depth this offseason, announcing the signings of right-hander Gerson Garabito and left-hander Drew Rom to minor league contracts. Both pitchers will receive non-roster invitations to major league camp, giving them an opportunity to compete for roles or position themselves as depth options entering the 2026 season, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
For Garabito, the agreement represents a return to affiliated baseball after a productive stint overseas. The 30-year-old right-hander spent part of the 2025 season in the Korea Baseball Organization, signing with the Samsung Lions in June. He quickly made an impression, working primarily as a starter and posting a strong 2.64 ERA across 15 starts. Garabito also generated strikeouts at an impressive clip, fanning roughly 26 percent of opposing hitters while showing the ability to navigate lineups multiple times.
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Given that performance, it may come as a surprise that Garabito did not remain in Korea for the 2026 campaign. Instead, he will attempt to use spring training as a springboard back to the major leagues. For the Brewers, Garabito offers an experienced arm with recent success against professional competition, albeit outside of MLB. Whether he profiles as rotation depth or a multi-inning bullpen option, his performance with Samsung suggests there could be some upside if he carries that form stateside.
Rom's signing, meanwhile, is a low-risk addition with a very different profile. The left-hander turned 26 earlier this week and was once considered a notable prospect after being selected by the Orioles in the fourth round of the draft. He was dealt to the Cardinals in 2023 as part of the trade that sent Jack Flaherty to Baltimore , and initially received an opportunity to start at the major league level down the stretch that season.
That first taste of extended MLB action proved challenging. Rom made eight starts for St. Louis late in the year and struggled to keep runs off the board, finishing with an ERA north of 8.00. Compounding matters, shoulder issues surfaced soon after, leading to surgery the following spring. As a result, the Cardinals removed him from their 40-man roster at the conclusion of the 2024 season, though he remained in the organization.
Injuries continued to disrupt Rom's progress in 2025. He opened the season on the injured list while rehabbing from surgery and did not return to game action until mid-May, when he was assigned to Triple-A Memphis. His brief run there included four starts in which he allowed nine runs over 14 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, his season was cut short once again when he landed back on the injured list, ending his year prematurely.
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For Milwaukee, Rom represents a reclamation project with some pedigree. If healthy, he offers left-handed starting depth that could be valuable over the course of a long season. Garabito, on the other hand, brings durability and recent momentum from his time in Korea.
Neither pitcher is guaranteed a roster spot, but both will enter camp with an opportunity. For a Brewers organization known for maximizing pitching depth and development, these signings reflect a calculated approach: low-risk investments that could pay dividends if either arm clicks at the right time.
