White Sox, Brewers Swap Aaron Civale, Andrew Vaughn
The Brewers are buying and selling right-hander Aaron Civale to the White Sox, in line with a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Submit. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers stories that first baseman Andrew Vaughn is headed to Milwaukee in alternate for Civale.
It’s a fast turnaround after Civale requested a commerce away from Milwaukee yesterday. Civale’s commerce request got here on the heels of the membership’s determination earlier this week to bump him from the rotation with a view to name up prime pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski. Civale, a free agent after the 2025 marketing campaign who struggled a bit final yr however has pitched to a 3.32 ERA and three.92 FIP in 4 begins since getting back from the injured record final month, evidently desires to carry onto a rotation job to set himself up for achievement in free company this winter as a lot as doable.
The 30-year-old’s want was promptly granted, as he’s now headed for the White Sox. The South Siders haven’t any actual hope of competing for a playoff spot this yr, however with a patchwork rotation that options a number of Rule 5 draftees it’s not exhausting to see Civale as a doubtlessly substantial improve for his or her beginning rotation. Whereas a crew headed for his or her second-consecutive 100-loss marketing campaign buying a rental beginning pitcher in the course of the season is a uncommon incidence, it’s not exhausting to see the logic from Chicago’s perspective on condition that they’ll have the chance to flip Civale to a membership with postseason aspirations nearer to the commerce deadline.
The logic is especially sound for the White Sox given the participant they’re giving up in return. Vaughn was the third-overall decide within the 2019 draft and a longtime prime 100 prospect, however his main league profession has been a disappointment thus far. He entered the 2025 season with a profession .253/.310/.415 (102 wRC+) slash line on the main league stage and only one season the place he had hit at a clip considerably higher than league common. Issues took a extra pronounced nosedive this yr, as he’s slashed simply .189/.218/.314 (44 wRC+) throughout 48 video games for the White Sox in 2025. It’s the bottom on-base proportion of any participant with at the very least 120 plate appearances within the majors this yr, and his -1.3 fWAR this season is useless final amongst all hitters who’ve stepped as much as the plate within the majors this season. That’s not a participant the White Sox may count on to get a considerable prospect return for this summer time, and whereas Vaughn has one yr of management remaining after this one he at the moment has the look of a transparent non-tender candidate. That certainly made the chance to roll the cube on flipping a veteran beginning pitcher a really enticing possibility for Chicago.
Extra to come back.