The Milwaukee Brewers, in a strategic maneuver to bolster their ailing starting rotation, have procured right-hander Aaron Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays. This acquisition comes with the aim of solidifying their tenuous grip on the top spot in the National League Central.
In exchange, Tampa Bay will acquire infielder Gregory Barrios, a prospect with promising potential.
Civale, aged 29, previously transitioned to the Rays from Cleveland near last season’s trade deadline in a deal involving first baseman Kyle Manzardo. He now joins a Brewers pitching staff beset by injuries, with emergent talents Robert Gasser and DL Hall, along with seasoned pitcher Joe Ross, all currently on the 60-day injured list.
Despite his challenges with the Rays, evidenced by a 5.17 ERA over 27 starts, Civale offers the Brewers a seasoned arm in a rotation that has heavily relied on Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, standout rookie Tobias Myers, and Bryse Wilson, who has alternated between starting and long-relief roles. This season, Civale is on course to exceed his career-high innings tally of 124⅓, having already logged 87 innings with a 5.07 ERA. He remains under contract until the conclusion of the 2025 season.
The Brewers, whose recent success has been anchored by robust starting pitching, currently enjoy a six-game lead in the NL Central, largely thanks to an offense that ranks fifth in scoring across Major League Baseball.
On the flip side, the Rays, with a 43-42 record, trail Kansas City by three games for the final American League wild-card position. Their rotation already features right-handers Zach Eflin, Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot, and Zack Littell. Additionally, former top prospect Shane Baz, who has started 10 games at Triple-A this season, might rejoin Tampa Bay. The Rays also anticipate the return of ace Shane McClanahan and right-hander Drew Rasmussen from elbow surgeries by the 2025 season.
With the July 30 trade deadline approaching, the Rays are poised to be active, potentially augmenting their roster for a playoff bid while remaining open to trading from areas of surplus.
Barrios, at 20 years old, strengthens an already formidable Tampa Bay farm system rich with infield talent, including top-10 prospects Junior Caminero and Carson Williams. This season, at High-A, Barrios boasts a .317/.361/.423 batting line, with one home run, 34 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases out of 22 attempts.
