Well-traveled former Guardians starter DFA'd by A's in staff upheaval

On Wednesday, the upstart Athletics made a variety of changes to their roster as they prepared to return from the All-Star Break. 

And one of those changes came at the expense of a well-known name among Guardians fans, as starting pitcher Aaron Civale was designated for assignment to make room for pitching prospect Yunior Tur. 

Aaron Civale has struggled since leaving Guardians 

Civale’s DFA came a day after the Athletics fired their pitching coach Scott Emerson, so it seems like the Athletics are trying to restructure their pitching picture mid-season. 

And for good reason. The Athletics entered the All-Star Break with a 4.91 team ERA, which is the third-worst mark in baseball. 

While part of the reason for that is the fact the Athletics are playing in an extremely-hitter friendly Triple-A park, they’re in the midst of a serious skid that seems to have cost Civale and Emerson their jobs. 

They’re currently in the midst of a nine-game winning streak, and have gone 3-17 in their last 20 games. 

Civale has played a part in those struggles, as the 31-year-old has a 5.42 ERA (which would be the highest-mark of his career) in 74 2/3 innings. 

He started the season strong, but went on the injured list at the end of May with right shoulder tendonitis after he allowed seven runs in four innings in a start against the Mariners. 

He made his return to the Athletic's rotation in the middle of June, but has posted a 9.00 ERA in 19 innings since. 

Civale’s DFA is another speed bump in what’s been a bumpy road for him since the Guardians traded him to the Rays in 2023. 

Although he struggled in his two seasons with the Rays, he finished the 2024 season with the Brewers and posted a 3.53 ERA in 74 innings. 

That blew up in his face a year later when he struggled out of the gate before asking for a trade. He got his wish and was traded to the White Sox, though they also cut him loose after 67 subpar innings.

He ended the year working out of the Cubs’ bullpen, and ended up pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings for Chicago in the postseason. 

Civale’s always seemed like a pitcher who was a clear beneficiary of the Guardians’ pitching lab given his arsenal is built on deception and variance as opposed to pure velocity, and he hasn’t done anything to dispel that notion since leaving Cleveland. 

Although he still has solid command (6.7% walk rate), he’s in the 12th percentile in whiff rate and the 14th percentile in strikeout rate. He also has a ground ball rate of just 27.2%, which is one of the worst marks in baseball. 

Civale will likely end up becoming a free agent (it’s hard to imagine a team will claim him on waivers given that means they’d be on the hook for what remains of his $6 million salary), and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up inking a contract somewhere on the veteran minimum. 

He pitched much better away from the Athletics’ launching pad in Sacramento (4.25 ERA in 42 1/3 innings), and has also had some success in his career when pitching out of the bullpen. 

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