Milwaukee Brewers Ship Unhappy Civale to AL Cellar-Dweller for Struggling 1st Baseman

Milwaukee Brewers Flick Civale to White Sox Without Second Thought

Per ESPN, the Brewers have shipped Civale to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for first baseman Andrew Vaughn, a swap of struggling vets who have shown solid production in the past.

After an injury knocked Civale out of his first start this season, he spent an extended stint on the injured list. Thus far, he has surrendered a 4.91 ERA and five homeruns in as many starts, covering 22 innings. Acquired midseason last year from the Rays, he pitched well in Milwaukee, going 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA.

He didn’t show the same stuff in 2025, however, and his attitude after Misiorowski’s callup turned a cheap trade into a simple decision. The Brewers haven’t lost much.

The 23-46 White Sox, last place in the AL Central and bested by only the Rockies for the worst record in MLB, aren’t especially concerned with winning games. They just need someone to help hold down the fort on a young pitching staff. Second-year right-hander Jonathan Cannon just hit the injured list on Tuesday, so Civale can slide into his spot until Cannon returns from a lower-back strain.

Vaughn Provides Depth, Not Much Else

At the time of the trade, Vaughn was languishing in Triple-A, a demotion prompted by a .189 batting average and -1.6 Wins Above Replacement through 48 games with the White Sox. In 2024, he hit 19 homeruns and drove in 70, but posted a mediocre .699 OPS.

Before 2025, he had smacked at least 15 dingers every season of his now five-year career, peaking at 21 HR and 80 RBIs in 2023. Vaughn owns a career slash line of .248/.303/.407.

Whether at first or in the outfield, he is a huge liability on defense, limiting his usefulness for the Brewers. Rhys Hoskins is installed at first, Christian Yelich is the everyday DH, and Vaughn is simply too atrocious to consider playing in the outfield, barring utter desperation. For now, he will likely join the Triple-A squad in Nashville.

The Brewers are reportedly interested in dealing Jake Bauers, though, so Vaughn could replace him on the depth chart if they do indeed move Bauers.

The return “package” makes it clear: mostly, if not wholly so, this move was about dumping a disgruntled Civale – for the Brewers, a definitively painless parting.