Former Brewers' starter reunites with arch-rival after third consecutive midseason trade

Back on July 3, 2024, the Milwaukee Brewers swung an early "deadline" deal for right-handed starter Aaron Civale. The Crew was in need of starting pitching depth, and Civale, who possessed both a track record of success and years of team control, was an intriguing addition. Two years later, that trade feels like a distant memory, especially given the journey that the now 31-year-old Civale has embarked on ever since.

Civale's time in Milwaukee was a tale of two seasons. In 2024, he filled the Brewers' need for a reliable starting pitcher perfectly, posting a 3.53 ERA in 14 starts during the second half of the campaign. However, the 2025 season was a completely different story. After his first start of the season, a March 30 outing at Yankee Stadium, Civale went down with a hamstring strain that kept him out of the rotation until late May. The right-hander made four lackluster starts in late May and early June before the Brewers decided to replace him in the rotation with prospect phenom Jacob Misiorowski.

Civale, who had pitched as a starter for the entirety of his professional career and was set to hit free agency at the end of the season, didn't take the news of being switched to the bullpen positively and requested to be traded from the Brewers. As a result, Civale was traded in the middle of the season for the second consecutive year, this time to the Chicago White Sox for Andrew Vaughn, in what now looks like a very lopsided swap.

After a brief, largely unsuccessful stint with the White Sox, Civale was placed on waivers and later claimed by the Chicago Cubs for their stretch run. In an ironic full-circle moment, Civale pitched out of the Cubs' bullpen against the Brewers in the postseason and tossed a strong 4.1-inning scoreless relief outing in Game 1 of the NLDS.

Civale landed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Athletics during the offseason, and was off to a strong start during the 2026 campaign, before a tough month of June and a slow start to July ultimately led the AL West club to designate the right-hander for assignment. However, before Civale could clear waivers, the Athletics found a trade partner. On Saturday afternoon, the Athletics traded Civale to the Cubs, reuniting the right-hander with the Brewers' arch-rival.

Pitching-needy Cubs acquire former Brewer Aaron Civale from Athletics

The Cubs currently have 12 pitchers on the injured list, including starters Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown, Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, and Cade Horton. As a result, Jed Hoyer and the Cubs' front office have been searching for pitching reinforcements for practically the entire 2026 season.

Now, they reunite with Civale, who still has roughly $2.5 million left on his $6 million contract, and gave up right-handed pitching prospect Aiden Moffett in the process. Civale's underlying metrics have taken a step back this year, including his velocity, which is about 1 mph less than his 2025 average. The veteran right-hander continues to have strong command, as evidenced by his above-league-average 110 Location+ grade; however, it hasn't translated to success as of late.

Civale's tumultuous MLB journey continues with another stop in the Windy City, and he should earn plenty of opportunities with the short-handed Cubs. The Brewers don't see the Cubs until the end of August, when they kick off a four-game set at Wrigley Field on August 30. There's no guarantee Civale will still be a part of Chicago's pitching staff at that point, given the amount of pitchers who the Cubs will return from the IL in the meantime. However, if Civale can rediscover the success he found at the beginning of the season, he could play a role in the division race this year.

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