Brewers Make First Huge Splash Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Milwaukee Brewers made their first major move ahead of MLB's trade deadline, acquiring veteran RHP Aaron Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Civale sports a 2-6 record in 17 starts with a 5.07 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 84 innings. He'll hope to improve a Brewers rotation that currently ranks ninth in ERA (3.74) though could serve a bullpen role as well.

With Milwaukee sitting at 51-35, six games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, the Brewers are clearly pushing their chips in for a deep playoff run.

Brewers News: Milwaukee Trades for RHP Aaron Civale

This isn't a game-changing trade but does give the Brewers some much-needed pitching depth should anyone suffer an injury over the second half of the season.

Civale's surface-level stats aren't impressive, though his 4.15 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) implies he's been unlucky thus far. He had a 3.46 ERA in 23 starts for the Guardians last year, making him a low-cost, high-upside acquisition for Milwaukee.

An offspeed specialist, Civale's most common pitches are a cutter, sinker, and curveball. He utilizes deception and pitch location to fool batters but has struggled with command, averaging a career-high 2.79 walks per nine innings.

If Civale can find his control, he projects as a strong addition to the Brewers' pitching staff. FanDuel Sportsbook has Milwaukee as a heavy favorite to win the division (-430) but +2900 to win the World Series, indicating there's room for improvement if the organization is serious about competing for a championship.

This kind of move may not shift the odds much but is a step in the right direction regardless. Expect the Brewers to be active in pursuing marginal upgrades like this one, hoping that the sum of a series of seemingly minor moves can push Milwaukee over the top.

More Milwaukee Brewers News:

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.