Matt Johnson
The Boston Red Sox head into MLB games today with a 6-4 record in their last 10 games, making up a bit of ground in the American League playoff race. As the club begins to surge, one recent trade candidate has expressed a strong desire to play in Boston.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, starting pitcher Aaron Civale of the Milwaukee Brewers “would absolutely love” to pitch for the Red Sox.
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Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this week that Civale requested a trade out of Milwaukee after the team moved him to the bullpen. The club’s decision came following the promotion of top prospect Jacob Misiorowski, who suffered an ankle injury in his MLB debut on Thursday.
- Aaron Civale stats (ESPN): 4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHP, 19-7 K-BB, .856 OPS allowed in 22 innings
Civale, age 30, has had his ups and downs this season. He made one start in March, allowing 5 earned runs and 5 base runners to reach in 3 innings pitched. He then landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain before making his return on May 22. Over his last four starts, Civale had a 3.32 ERA with just 7 earned runs allowed and a 17-2 K-BB ratio across 19 innings pitched.
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Heading into the Red Sox game today, the club is tied for the 12th-most quality starts (27) but the Red Sox rotation ranks 25th in ERA (4.50) and WHIP (1.40) while ranking 17th in innings pitched (364) this season. Civale would at the very least provide more depth for the pitching staff.
- Aaron Civale contract (Spotrac): $8 million salary in 2025, MLB free agent this winter
In his major-league career, the 30-year-old has allowed a .700 OPS and .250 batting average to opponents at Fenway Park, but it’s a small sample size (20 plate appearances). Milwaukee hasn’t suggested it’s willing to trade Civale right now and Boston is still being monitored by some clubs as a potential seller ahead of the MLB trade deadline in July.
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