The 2024 White Sox are a topic that most fans would love to forget. The team went into the season with low expectations and somehow still came up well short. It was a miserable year with very little good to salvage for White Sox fans. Perhaps the only group who had it worse than White Sox fans in 2024 were White Sox players. None of them were having fun, and the group was eager to flush 2024 and start fresh in 2025. Unfortunately for Nicky Lopez and John Brebbia, two former members of the 2024 team, the circumstances they find themselves in continue to look grim.
Earlier this week, news broke that both Lopez and Brebbia were signing minor league deals with the Colorado Rockies. Lopez, 30, spent the first four and a half seasons of his career with the Kansas City Royals before a midseason trade to Atlanta in 2023. He finished the year with the Braves and was dealt to the White Sox as part of the deal that sent Aaron Bummer to Atlanta prior to 2024. Known as a great defender with limited offensive upside, Lopez became the starting second baseman despite White Sox fans hoping he’d fit the utility role instead. Overall, Lopez posted a .606 OPS in 124 games for the White Sox. Despite poor numbers, he finished second among position players on the team in fWAR, giving evidence of just how bad the 2024 offense was. Lopez signed a minor league deal with the Angels prior to the 2025 season and spent just five games on the roster prior to his release. He joined the Cubs for 14 games and finished the season just 1-for-24.
Nicky Lopez ‼️ pic.twitter.com/ExVGDMRPGI
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 4, 2024
Brebbia, now 35, had a track record of success in the bullpen for the Cardinals and Giants before signing with the White Sox ahead of 2024. Things completely derailed for Brebbia in 2024. The right-hander went 0-6 with an abysmal 6.29 ERA in 54 games before being designated for assignment in August. He signed with the Atlanta Braves and made five appearances out of the bullpen to end the season. Brebbia joined the Tigers in 2025, where he was even worse, posting a 7.71 ERA in 19 appearances before his release in June. He bounced around to stints with the Braves and Cardinals to finish the year and will now head to Colorado looking to make the team in the bullpen.
The Colorado Rockies are in a very similar position to the White Sox
The 2025 Colorado Rockies came very close to breaking the White Sox loss record just one year after it was set. The Rockies finished the season 43-119, just two games short of the 121-loss mark set by the White Sox. Like the White Sox, the Rockies won’t even be compensated for their terrible season, as they are ineligible for the draft lottery and cannot pick higher than 10th overall. With changes to the front office happening this offseason, the Rockies aren’t expected to be heavily participating in the free agent market, so any improvement in 2026 will likely need to come from within. Losing 120 games at the big league level is very difficult, so it’s fair to expect some positive regression, but it’s shaping up to be another miserable season in Denver.
It’s fair to wonder why Lopez and Brebbia, two players who have been through the epitome of misery, would willingly put themselves in a similar situation. Perhaps they had no other offers and simply didn’t have a choice if they wanted to continue playing. Maybe they felt that Colorado gave them the best chance to make the major league roster and get playing time. Regardless, you can’t help but feel bad for Lopez and Brebbia, who have been through the ringer in their careers.
There’s no telling what the future holds for both players, but it’s safe to say that 2026 will be yet another year of adversity.