Milwaukee Brewers trade for Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Aaron Civale
July 3 (UPI) -- The Milwaukee Brewers added depth to their starting rotation Wednesday, acquiring right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale through a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, the teams announced.
The Brewers agreed to send minor league infielder Gregory Barrios to the Rays as part of the transaction. Barrios is now the Rays' No. 19 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Civale, 29, was 2-6 with a 5.07 ERA through 17 starts this season for the Rays. He went 7-5 with a 3.46 ERA over 23 starts last season, which he split between the Cleveland Guardians and Rays. The Guardians traded Civale to the Rays on July 31.
Civale, a third-round pick by the Guardians in the 2016 MLB Draft, has a 33-32 record with a 4.10 ERA over 103 career appearances. He is eligible for arbitration this off-season and will hit free agency after the 2025 campaign.
Barrios, 20, hit .325 with a home run, 34 RBIs and 18 stolen bases through 61 games this season for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, an Advanced-A affiliate of the Brewers. He hit .264 with two homers, 103 RBIs and 72 stolen bases over his first 245 minor league appearances.
The Brewers (51-35) have the third-best record in the National League and a six-game lead on the second-place St. Louis Cardinals (44-40) atop the National League Central Division.
The Brewers will face the Colorado Rockies (29-56) at 8:40 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Denver.
The Rays (43-42) sit in fourth place in the American League East, 11 games behind the division-leading Baltimore Orioles (54-31). They will play the Kansas City Royals (47-40) at 8:10 p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo.