Brewers pitcher Aaron Civale asks to be traded after move to bullpen
Veteran right-hander Aaron Civale, bumped from the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation by top prospect Jacob Misiorowski, has asked for a trade.
Civale's agent, Jack Toffey, said he made the request to Brewers general manager Matt Arnold after the team informed the pitcher he was moving to the bullpen.
'The conversation was very professional,' Toffey said Thursday. 'I just very respectfully said that Aaron would really like an opportunity to continue his career as a starter. He's going to be a free agent at the end of the year.'
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The Brewers are one of the few clubs with a seeming surplus of starting pitching. Toffey said Arnold told him the team was 'exploring options.' Arnold did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Civale, who turned 30 on Thursday, has made all 122 of his regular-season appearances as a starter. He did pitch in relief in Game 1 of last year's wild-card series against the New York Mets, working three scoreless innings to close out an 8-4 defeat.
The Brewers acquired Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays last July 3 in a trade for minor-league infielder Gregory Barnes. Civale pitched well in 14 starts after joining Milwaukee, going 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA. He then strained his left hamstring in his first outing of 2025, but produced a 3.32 ERA over 19 innings in four starts after returning on May 22.
The promotion of Misiorowski, who will make his major-league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night, left the Brewers with a decision. Civale was the odd man out in a rotation that includes Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, Quinn Priester and José Quintana – and other options at Triple A and on the injured list.
On May 26, the Brewers demoted right-hander Logan Henderson after he produced a 1.71 ERA in his first four major-league starts. Right-hander Tobias Myers, a stalwart in the rotation last season, also is at Triple A, while left-hander Nestor Cortes. Jr. and righty Brandon Woodruff are working their ways back from injuries.
'I've heard from other teams, through their channels of communication, that they have a plethora of starting pitching and are looking for trade partners, maybe not just on Aaron, but maybe another pitcher,' Toffey said. 'That's my understanding.'
Civale is earning $8 million, matching Peralta for the highest salary among Brewers pitchers. The Brewers, operating with the game's 24th-highest Opening Day payroll, often seek to create opportunities for less expensive options. And Misiorowski is the game's No. 87 prospect, according to The Athletic's Keith Law.
'Aaron is not angry or banging his fist on the table,' Toffey said. 'But it's a little confusing because he did not pitch his way out of the rotation whatsoever. It's more of a subjective choice the organization is making.'
(Top photo of Aaron Civale: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images)
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