Brewers rumors: Starting pitcher cited as potential trade candidate

The calendar has flipped to June, and that means that the trade deadline is starting to enter into the minds of baseball fans. This year's trade deadline is set for Thursday, July 31 at 6:00 p.m. ET. The deadline always used to fall on July 31 at 4:00 p.m. ET, but the MLB Commissioner's office now holds the authority to set the deadline anytime between July 28 and August 3, and will do so in a way that avoids the most amount of conflict with games.

A few weeks ago, the Milwaukee Brewers were destined to be sellers, but winning nine of their last 10 games has seemingly flipped the script. Now, Brewers fans are starting to consider ways in which their team could improve by adding a piece or two at next month’s deadline. The most glaring need is at shortstop, where Joey Ortiz is currently sporting an OPS+ of 44. However, given the positional versatility of the team's other infield options, a second or third baseman could also be in play for Matt Arnold and the Brewers' front office.

Acquiring such a player would generally require the team to part with prospect capital, but the Brewers aren't quick to mortgage the future for a short-term rental. Therefore, the team could look to its current big league rotation for an option to trade in exchange for infield help.

MLB insider Jeff Passan proposes an Aaron Civale trade

In his most recent trade deadline preview, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan proposed that the Brewers trade Aaron Civale for an infielder who could help add some consistency to their offense.

Less than a year has gone by since the Brewers traded infield prospect Gregory Barrios for Aaron Civale during a time when the team was desperate for stability in its starting rotation. Civale provided just that during the second half of the 2024 season. He made 14 starts and posted a 3.53 ERA for the Crew a season ago.

This year has been much of the same for Civale, apart from one bad start against the New York Yankees back in March. Since returning from a hamstring injury that popped up during the aforementioned start against the Yankees, Civale has allowed just five earned runs in 14.1 innings, displaying the consistency that he showcased in 2024.

With an expiring contract, Civale's name has entered trade conversations, and regardless of the Brewers’ record by the time the trade deadline rolls around, the team should absolutely entertain offers for the 29-year-old right-hander.

Selling on Civale would not mean that the Brewers are punting the 2025 season and giving up on their chance to make another postseason run, but rather it would represent the front office taking advantage of a position of strength and capitalizing on a thin starting pitching market.

With options like Logan Henderson, Jacob Misiorowski, and Tobias Myers pitching in Triple-A and veterans Brandon Woodruff and Nestor Cortes expected to return from injuries sometime in the next month, the Brewers have plenty of starting pitching options. Pair that with a need for another consistent bat in their lineup, and trading Civale starts to make a lot of sense.

It would require a perfect situation, but the Brewers did make a similar deal last year when they traded major league pitcher Jakob Junis and outfielder Joey Wiemer, who also had MLB experience, for an upgrade to their starting rotation in Frankie Montas.

The Arizona Diamondbacks could emerge as a potential trade partner. They will likely have a need for starting pitching after the injury to Corbin Burnes, they have a motivation to move third baseman Eugenio Saurez, who is currently blocking an infield spot from top prospect Jordan Lawlar, and they likely won't be looking for a full-on fire sale, so adding a major league starter could be appealing to them. It would likely require another piece on the Brewers’ end, but Saurez would add some serious pop to the Brewers’ lineup.