In an effort to bolster their pitching staff, the Chicago White Sox acquired right-hander Aaron Civale in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. On Sunday, he made his White Sox debut in a start against the Texas Rangers.
Unfortunately for Civale, he came away with a loss after allowing six hits and two runs over five innings, walking and striking out four. He didn’t get much help from Chicago’s lineup, as the team lost 2-1. But that’s been the norm for the White Sox as of late, as they’ve score three or fewer runs in four of their last five games.
Still, Civale isn’t shying away from any blame after the loss. All four of his walks came within the first seven batters he faced. Overall, the right-hander is still trying to get his feet under him after being dealt to the South Side, via the Associated Press.
“Not the cleanest,” Civale said. “It’s been a whirlwind of a week. First couple of innings, just getting back out there and settling in and getting used to the new team, new catcher and all of the above.”
Aaron Civale’s road to White Sox
The Brewers originally acquired Civale in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. It seemed to be a strong acquisition, as his first 14 starts with the team produced a 6-3 record, 3.53 ERA and a 65/25 K/BB ratio. Things looked much different for Civale in 2025 however, as he held a 1-2 record, 4.91 ERA and a 19/7 K/BB ratio over his first five starts.
With his performance, the Brewers decided to move him to the bullpen and promote top prospect Jacob Misiorowski. Civale wasn’t happy with the decision, as he has been a starter his entire career, and requested a trade. Ultimately, Milwaukee decided to deal him to Chicago for former top prospect Andrew Vaughn.
Civale’s recent career has been a bit of a whirlwind. After spending his first four seasons playing solely for the Cleveland Guardians, Civale has played on at least two teams every year since 2023. While he may understand what it’s like to move franchises, having to switch up his preparation is a challenge every time for Civale.
“It never gets easier,” Civale said. “There’s comfort in experience that you have, but every time it’s new and it’s a different challenge in itself. You’re trying to make that adjustment as quick as you can. Was out there trying to compete and I wasn’t filling up the zone like I would have liked to.”
Not on the South Side for long
While Civale is a strong addition to the White Sox’s rotation, he may not here long to stay. Chicago is looking to flip Civale at the trade deadline to further boost their farm system, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
“The Chicago White Sox were thrilled getting veteran starter Aaron Civale from the Milwaukee Brewers for first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who had been demoted to the minors a month ago,” Nightengale wrote. “Still, they won’t have Civale in uniform long.”
“They plan to trade him at the July 31 deadline, believing they could get at least a couple of mid-tier prospects in return,” he concluded.
Civale is set to be a free agent after the 2025 campaign. While he improves the White Sox’s short-term pitching plans, Chicago is 22.5 games out of first place in the AL Central with their 23-49 record. They’re far more focused on the future, and a player of Civale’s caliber would certainly net them prospect capital of merit. The righty has 123 games of MLB experience under his belt, holding a 40-38 record, 4.06 ERA and 600/181 K/BB ratio.
The White Sox are hoping to get as much run out of Civale as they can. But come trade deadline, don’t be shocked to see him on the move again.
The Chicago White Sox’s 2025 Trade Deadline plans become a little clearer: Report
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