Aaron Civale is hoping for a change if he’s not included in the Brewers’ starting rotation. After Milwaukee promoted top prospect Jacob Misiorowski, Civale, who has been moved to the bullpen, might be looking for a trade.
During his seven seasons, Civale has made 122 regular-season appearances. Brewers manager Pat Murphy noted that the 30-year-old is “not happy” about this transition.
Civale’s agent, Jack Tochwy, mentioned in a conversation with general manager Matt Arnold that Civale seeks an opportunity to continue as a starter, especially since he’ll be a free agent by season’s end. His current stats show an ERA of 4.91 with a 1-2 record in five starts this year, raising questions about his role following Misiorowski’s promotion.
Though Civale has little experience as a reliever—he had some long relief innings during last season’s wildcard—Milwaukee believed he was among the more suitable options for this specific move.
Murphy commented on Civale’s past success as a starter, pointing out that he has shown he can handle this adjustment, despite having no prior experience in a bullpen role. The Brewers are currently leaning on other pitchers, such as Freddie Peralta, Jose Quintana, Chad Patrick, and Quinn Priester, all of whom have lower ERAs compared to Civale.
Over the last two years, Civale has managed a 3.84 ERA in 19 starts after being acquired from the Rays. Tochwy noted that Civale has remained composed during this challenging transition, suggesting that the decision is somewhat perplexing considering he hasn’t been struggling so badly.
Arnold indicated that the Brewers are weighing their options, hinting that several teams might be interested in trading for starting pitchers, not limited to just Civale. The potential for an agreement seems plausible, especially since Civale is making a manageable $8 million this year.
Tochwy added that there are discussions among teams regarding available starting pitching, indicating some level of interest in finding a trade partner.
