The Milwaukee Brewers have had some of the worst luck when it comes to having healthy starting pitchers. Before the season even began, Brandon Woodruff was ruled out for the 2024 season. Wade Miley and Robert Gasser started the year on the injured list, both ended up making starts for the Brewers, and both have since undergone season-ending Tommy John surgery.
In addition to these injured pitchers, the starting rotation has seen Jakob Junis spend nearly the whole season to this point on the injured list. He made one start, went on IL, and only recently was able to come back. Additionally, Joe Ross and DL Hall remain hurt.
Despite these injury struggles, the Brewers are 51-35 and in first place of the National League Central Division. However, if they are to hold on to that lead and make a deep run in the postseason, they will need healthy and quality starting pitching.
The Milwaukee Brewers Trade for Tampa Bay Rays Starting Pitcher Aaron Civale
Late last month, the Brewers acquired former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel from the Seattle Mariners. While he did not do well in his first start with Milwaukee (he allowed five runs in just four innings), he pitched well last night in the Brewers’ 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies. Keuchel pitched 5.1 innings while allowing two runs and striking out five.
Still, the Brewers felt like they still needed more depth for their starting rotation. On Wednesday morning, news broke that they had traded minor league infielder Gregory Berrios to the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Aaron Civale:
RHP Aaron Civale has been acquired from Tampa Bay in exchange for INF Gregory Barrios. pic.twitter.com/TQ5xjtW0gG
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 3, 2024
Civale is 2-6 on the season with a 5.04 ERA. While those numbers may not inspire much confidence, Civale is 33-32 in his career with a 4.10 ERA.
Prior to being traded to the Rays, Civale was a pretty good starting pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians. In five seasons with them, he was 29-23 with a 3.77 ERA.
Perhaps pitching in Tampa Bay was not for him.
The Milwaukee Brewers Have Been Successful in Salvaging Struggling Veteran Pitchers
As Greg Matzek of ESPN Radio in Milwaukee pointed out on social media:
Aaron Civale: 4.10 ERA over 6 MLB seasons.
Jordan Lyles: 5.22 career ERA. 8-1 with an ERA under 3.00 for the #Brewers in ’18/’19
Drew Pomeranz: 6.08 ERA w/ BOS in ’18 & 2.39 ERA w/ the Brewers in ’19.
Gio Gonzalez: 4.57 ERA w/ Nats in ’18 but 3-0 for the Brewers w/ a 2.13 ERA.
— Greg Matzek (@gmatzek) July 3, 2024
The trade for Civale is just the kind of trade that the Brewers are known for making during the season. If their pitching lab can do for him what it did for the players listed above, it could end up being a major move for the team.
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