The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired right hander Aaron Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays to improve their lackluster starting rotation. The Rays will receive infield prospect Gregory Barrios in exchange and the Brewers have designated righty Taylor Clarke for assignment in a corresponding move.
Significance for Tampa Bay
The Rays rotation has been dealing with a fair share of injuries, but as most members are nearing their return, Tampa Bay has decided to part ways with Civale, betting on the returning starters to pick up the workload. Starters Shane Baz and Jeffrey Springs are both in the final stages of their Tommy John rehab, with Drew Rasmussen not far behind on recovering from an internal brace surgery. With the return of these three starters who will rejoin the current rotation of Zach Eflin, Zack Littell, Taj Bradley and Ryan Pepiot, Tampa has been open with trading away some of their veteran starters.
Significance for Milwaukee
The Brewers rotation has been decimated with injuries so far this year and they are in desperate search for rotational depth. DL Hall (the returning piece from the Corbin Burnes trade) has been on the injured list since April with a knee strain, Joe Ross is on the 60 day IL with a back strain, and Wade Miley and Robert Gasser have both underwent Tommy Job surgery. The rotation currently consists of Freddy Peralta, Bryse Wilson, Tobias Myers, Colin Rea, and newly acquired veteran Dallas Keuchel.
It was a smart move for Milwaukee to trade for starter depth early in the season rather than waiting for the trade deadline to do so, as they have the ability to add more moves if the Civale trade doesn’t go as planned.
Civale’s Production
In four and a half seasons with Cleveland, Civale served as a serviceable middle to back end of the rotation pitcher, totaling a 3.77 ERA in 430 innings. With a slightly below average 21.1 K%, Civale combatted that with an excellent 6.1 BB%.
After arriving in Tampa Bay however, Civale’s numbers have not looked pretty. In 132 1/3 innings with the Rays from 2023 to 2024, Civale has a 5.17 ERA. The main problem is his inability to keep the ball in the yard, as he has given up 1.56 HR/9, much higher from the 1.19 HR/9 clip he had in Cleveland. Despite the spike in runs allowed, Civale has improved on his K% which now stands at 24.7% while maintaining an excellent BB% at 6.5%.
Expectations for Milwaukee
The Aaron Civale trade is a high risk, low reward trade for the Brewers. If he returns to his Cleveland form, Milwaukee is looking at a very dependable starting pitcher to help boost their rotation. His 4.14 xERA (expected ERA) is a positive sign that he can turn things around for the Brewers, and if not, he will still serve as a respectable back end of the rotation piece who can eat innings and save the bullpen.
For a team who doesn’t like to spend much, Civale’s contract situation fits perfectly into their culture. Civale is making $4.9 million in total this year with Milwaukee having to pay just $2.3 million for the rest of the season. He is eligible for one more season of club control, making him an affordable option for the next season and a half. The Brewers could still use some rotation help despite adding an experienced Aaron Civale but it serves as a good start in preparation for their playoff run.
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