MILWAUKEE -- Aaron Civale has always been a starting pitcher, and he wants to remain in that role, the right-hander said Thursday after The Athletic reported that his agent has asked the Brewers to make a trade rather than use Civale in relief.
Agent Jack Toffey told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon that he’d spoken with Brewers GM Matt Arnold after the team informed Civale he was being shifted to the bullpen. The move, which came as a shock to Civale with free agency looming this fall, accommodated the arrival of top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski, who started against the Cardinals on Thursday night in his Major League debut.
“This is not a situation where I’m trying to leave this team,” said Civale, who turned 30 on Thursday. “All the guys are great. Coaching staff is great. The players are great. I love competing with all of them, just I feel like I still have more to contribute and more to give to this game, and I feel I'm best suited to do that as a starting pitcher.”
So, after discussing the situation with his wife, Civale instructed his agent to make clear to the Brewers that he wants to start -- whether that’s in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
“The conversation was very professional,” Toffey said, according to The Athletic. “I just very respectfully said that Aaron would really like an opportunity to continue his career as a starter. He’s going to be a free agent at the end of the year.”
All 122 of Civale’s regular-season appearances in the Majors have been in a starting role, though he has pitched once in relief during the postseason -- in last year’s National League Wild Card Series against the Mets. Civale covered the final three innings of an 8-4 loss in Game 1.
That outing came after Civale was a solid starter for Milwaukee following a July trade from Tampa Bay, going 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 14 starts over the remainder of the 2024 regular season. He was back in the rotation for the start of this year but suffered a left hamstring injury, landed on the injured list after one start and spent about seven weeks rehabbing before returning to post a 3.32 ERA over his next four starts.
Civale is earning an $8 million salary this season, which matches Freddy Peralta as the Brewers’ highest-paid pitchers.
Arnold declined to say Wednesday whether he’d already explored trading Civale, because discussing such matters publicly only diminishes the chances of making a deal. But it would make sense if the Brewers, with Misiorowski’s promotion imminent, had canvassed the league for opportunities, since they have a number of young starters in the Majors and at Triple-A they want to see.
“He’s done nothing wrong here, certainly, and I think that he’ll continue to get chances,” Arnold said. “And things can change. We used how many, 17, different starters last year? There’s always something that can happen where he can slide back into that role, and he’s proven he can do that at a high level in the Major Leagues and especially here. Right now we think it’s the right move for him and the team.”
How will the Brewers proceed with a player whose unhappiness is so public?
“Aaron’s got a great history and he’s performed well for this organization, so he’s got a right to feel the way he wants to feel,” manager Pat Murphy said. “But now it’s time for him to behave. He’s got to go pitch for us if we ask for him to pitch for us, and I think he will. He’s that type of guy, and I respect him a great deal.”
Civale said the sides agreed he would be available beginning Saturday, which is five days after his last start. His past relief outing in the postseason provides little guidance, Civale said, because of the all hands on deck nature of October baseball, and because there was ample advance notice that he would pitch in a certain situation.
He spent Thursday simulating a reliever’s schedule in an effort to be ready for whatever call comes next.
“I’ve worked very hard to get to this position,” Civale said. “There’s no ill will toward anybody in this city. It’s been a great home to me and my wife for the past year.
“I know there’s probably going to be some animosity toward this type of thing. There’s a negative connotation when this type of thing comes around. But I’m trying to do what’s best.”