White Sox, Brewers Swap Aaron Civale, Andrew Vaughn

The Brewers are trading right-hander Aaron Civale to the White Sox, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that first baseman Andrew Vaughn is headed to Milwaukee in exchange for Civale.

It’s a quick turnaround after Civale requested a trade away from Milwaukee yesterday. Civale’s trade request came on the heels of the club’s decision earlier this week to bump him from the rotation in order to call up top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski. Civale, a free agent after the 2025 campaign who struggled a bit last year but has pitched to a 3.32 ERA and 3.92 FIP in four starts since returning from the injured list last month, evidently wants to hold onto a rotation job to set himself up for success in free agency this winter as much as possible.

The 30-year-old’s wish was promptly granted, as he’s now headed for the White Sox. The South Siders have no real hope of competing for a playoff spot this year, but with a patchwork rotation that features multiple Rule 5 draftees it’s not hard to see Civale as a potentially substantial upgrade for their starting rotation. While a team headed for their second-consecutive 100-loss campaign acquiring a rental starting pitcher in the middle of the season is a rare occurrence, it’s not hard to see the logic from Chicago’s perspective given that they’ll have the opportunity to flip Civale to a club with postseason aspirations closer to the trade deadline.

More to come.