The Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers shocked the baseball world early this morning when they connected on a trade sending first baseman Andrew Vaughn to Milwaukee and right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale to Chicago. The Brewers are also including cash to the White Sox to offset salaries in this unexpected yet intriguing swap of two veteran players.
Brewers Starting Pitching Depth
From the Brewers' perspective, this trade is relatively straightforward. They have plenty of starting pitching depth and are trading from an area of strength. Veterans Freddy Peralta and Jose Quintana are entrenched in the starting rotation, with fellow veterans Brandon Woodruff and Nestor Cortes on their way back from injuries. Milwaukee also has several promising young pitchers like Chad Patrick, Quinn Priester, and Logan Henderson, who have all gotten opportunities in the big league rotation this season. Their top pitching prospect, Jacob Misiorowski, also made his MLB debut last night. They arguably still have too many starting pitchers and not enough spots, even with Civale removed from the equation.
Civale's Trade Request
Shipping Civale out stems from the 30-year-old right-hander requesting a trade a few days ago after being told he was moving to the bullpen. Civale and his agent reportedly saw this development as a surprise. While the conversation was professional, Civale's agent told the Brewers organization that Civale would like to continue being a starting pitcher elsewhere. As a free agent at the end of the season, it makes sense that Civale would want to continue pitching as a starter. Doing so could earn him a bigger contract this offseason.
From The White Sox Perspective
For the White Sox, moving on from Vaughn was also straightforward. After being drafted third overall in 2019, the 27-year-old never lived up to expectations in Chicago. He showed flashes at times but never put it all together, culminating in a disastrous 2025 season in which he was sent to Triple-A despite being one of the highest-paid players on the team.
Vaughn was the worst player in MLB according to fWAR at the time of his demotion, and he hit just .211/.328/.351 in 15 games with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights afterward. It became abundantly clear that his time in Chicago was nearing an end. Trading him away also helps clear up the logjam at first base for the White Sox. Tim Elko could get a longer audition with Vaughn out of the picture. Miguel Vargas could also potentially move to the position full-time.
Potential Win/Win Trade
The Brewers have fixtures at first base and DH in Rhys Hoskins and Christian Yelich, respectively, but Hoskins is a free agent after this season, whereas Vaughn still has another season of team control. Vaughn is also significantly younger than Hoskins and has pedigree as a former top prospect. It is a calculated gamble on the Brewers' part that their coaches and a new environment can help resurrect Vaughn's career, considering all it took to get him was a pitcher who didn't want to be in Milwaukee anymore.
From the White Sox side, this trade also makes sense. They would have certainly non-tendered Vaughn this offseason had they not found a trade partner for him, and they could use as many starting pitchers as possible down the stretch to eat innings, as injuries have decimated their depth. Civale is similar to Adrian Houser in that he has a relationship with White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven dating back to their time with Milwaukee. That familiarity could help explain why the White Sox pulled the trigger on this deal.
Civale has pitched reasonably well in four starts since coming off the injured list, putting up a respectable 3.32 ERA, and 3.92 FIP, while striking out 17 in 19 innings. The White Sox have been running bullpen games lately because they lack starting pitching depth. Civale addresses that need and depending on how he performs, he could even become a trade chip at the deadline if he pitches well for the White Sox over the next few weeks. As a free agent following the season, Civale likely will not be on the South Side for long. However, he could still provide value moving forward.
Classic Change Of Scenery Swap
Andrew Vaughn for Aaron Civale is a classic change of scenery trade with potential upside for both teams. Neither team was happy with their player, so they shipped them elsewhere to a new environment with new opportunities. There is a definite scenario in which both teams can benefit from this trade.
