Athletics sign former Brewers pitcher after contentious end to his time in Milwaukee

On Opening Day 2025, the Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation consisted of Freddy Peralta, Nestor Cortes, Aaron Civale, Elvin Rodriguez, and Chad Patrick -- or at least those were the pitchers who made the first five starts of the Brewers' record-breaking 2025 season. Of the group, only Patrick remains, but what's even crazier is that Cortes, Civale, and Rodriguez were all off the Brewers' roster by August 1 of last year.

Rodriguez was designated for assignment on July 9 after struggling to stay up with the big-league club. Cortes was traded to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline, in a deal that netted the Brewers outfielder Brandon Lockridge. Civale, meanwhile, had one of the more noteworthy exits from Milwaukee in recent history.

Trade requests don't often occur in MLB; generally, the negotiating tactic is reserved for leagues like the NBA and NFL which have different salary and roster structures. However, last June, after the Brewers announced that Jacob Misiorowski was taking over Civale's spot in the starting rotation, the latter requested to be traded from the Brewers.

The request made complete sense; Civale, who has been a starting pitcher his entire life, was being asked to move to the bullpen in what was his final season before free agency. Seeing as starters make far more than relievers on the free agent market, the move would have tanked Civale's value.

Milwaukee fulfilled Civale's request, trading him to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Andrew Vaughn -- a trade that almost immediately paid off for the Brewers -- but Civale didn't end the season on the South Side of Chicago. Rather, he ended up on the North Side after the Chicago Cubs claimed him off waivers in late August. Ironically, Civale faced the Brewers in Game 1 of the NLDS after Milwaukee had built a nine-run lead; the former Brewer tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in what ended up being his final appearance of the 2025 season.

Now, after a long offseason of waiting for the right deal, Civale has agreed to a one-year contract with the Athletics, as initially reported by Jon Heyman on the social media platform X.

Former Brewer Aaron Civale agrees to one-year deal with the Athletics following his trade request from Milwaukee last June

In the end, it's probably not the type of deal Civale was hoping for when he hit free agency at age 30. Had he put together a strong season in 2025, it's likely he would have earned a sizable multi-year deal. However, in agreeing to a contract with the Athletics, Civale should have an opportunity to be a rotation mainstay once again, giving him the chance to cash in on a strong 2026 campaign next offseason.

As a result, the trade request remains an astute decision by Civale and his representation; had he stuck around in Milwaukee and served as a multi-inning reliever, there's no guarantee he would have earned an opportunity to start games in 2026.

The "kitchen-sink" starter, whose arsenal of pitches features six different offerings, is just two years removed from a 2023 season in which he posted a 3.46 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP. Though his track record is inconsistent, if he can put together another season of that caliber, Civale could be looking at a major pay day this time next year. He's known to be receptive to proposed changes in his mechanics and pitch mix, always trying to improve his performance. Perhaps the Athletics will be the team to help Civale regain his form and cash in on this one-year prove-it deal.