Vaughn Era Ends as Sox Add Civale to Reinforce Rotation

A Familiar Face Returns to the Central

Civale, a longtime nemesis from his Cleveland days, had a stint with the Brewers after being dealt from the Tampa Bay Rays. Milwaukee recently moved him to the bullpen to make room for one of their top pitching prospects, prompting the veteran to request a trade. Although not yet officially announced, reports indicate that the deal is complete.

Civale made five starts for the Brewers this season, tossing 22 innings with a 4.91 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. While those numbers don't jump off the page, his 161 innings pitched last year are the real draw here. For a White Sox rotation full of developing arms and rising innings counts, that kind of durability is gold.

The Vaughn Chapter Closes Quietly

Vaughn's exit comes with far less fanfare than his arrival. The No. 3 overall pick and former Golden Spikes winner was one of the last remaining pieces of the Sox's 2021 division-winning team. After a frustrating start to the season, the club demoted him to Triple-A Charlotte, where his struggles continued. He's slashing .211/.328/.351 over 15 games and 67 plate appearances—numbers that make even a challenge trade seem generous.

Despite back-to-back seasons with 50+ extra-base hits, Vaughn never turned into the hitter the Sox hoped he'd be. The club tendered him a roughly $6 million contract this offseason in the hopes he'd rebound and build some value. That never happened. So now, Vaughn is gone—not for a prospect, but for a pitcher who fills a gap.

And with Vaughn out of the picture, first base gets even murkier. Tim Elko has struggled since being promoted. Miguel Vargas has seen time at the position and has looked solid at the plate. If he keeps hitting, he might stick there by necessity.

What's On Tap Next?

This trade isn't a flashy move—it's a practical one.

Davis Martin is already at 80.2 innings in his first full season post-Tommy John. One has to look back to 2019 to find Martin's 144.2 career high in innings. Shane Smith is sitting at 68.1, nearing his 94.1 IP high. 

Jonathan Cannon and Martín Pérez remain sidelined, and Sean Burke's results have been inconsistent. Several starters are entering uncharted workload territory, and the need for a proven innings-eater will grow louder by the week. Exactly how the White Sox will reshuffle their rotation remains to be seen.

Civale doesn't represent the future core—he's here to take the ball every fifth day so the rest of the staff doesn't break before August.

With Vaughn out of the picture, first base gets even murkier. Tim Elko has struggled since being promoted. Miguel Vargas has seen time at the position and has looked solid at the plate. If he keeps hitting, he might stick there by necessity.