The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor-league infielder Gregory Barrios. Civale, 29, was previously traded last deadline from Cleveland to Tampa Bay. His time with the Rays saw him struggle, posting a 5.17 ERA and a 3.74 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 27 starts. He has had issues with giving up home runs, allowing 1.6 per nine innings pitched.
The Brewers have a strong offense, ranking seventh in MLB in runs scored, and a solid bullpen that ranks fourth in the league in relief ERA. However, their rotation has been a weakness, ranking 18th in starters’ ERA, 29th in innings pitched, 23rd in K/BB ratio, 27th in strikeouts, and 29th in quality-start percentage. This weakness could be problematic for the Brewers despite their lead in the division. The team has a bottom-ten payroll