Rays bolster their rotation with addition of Aaron Civale
Photo Credit: USA Today
On the eve of the trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays addressed their biggest need. In a trade with the Guardians, Tampa acquired starter Aaron Civale to help a rotation that has dealt with seemingly never-ending injuries. Adding Civale cost a talented prospect in Kyle Manzardo, but the Rays were able to fill a major hole.
In 13 starts this year, Civale has been one of the best starters in baseball. The former third-round pick has posted a 2.34 ERA and stuck out 58 batters. While Civale is limiting hard contact, opponents are hitting .207 against him. His success has partly been due to his control.
“This is someone that can really pitch,” baseball operations president Erik Neander said. “The cutter and the curveball are plus pitches that he can really work off of. He commands everything. He has a really good feel how to use this stuff. He’s been a really good pitcher, plain and simple, that we have the opportunity to have for a few years here.”
Although Civale is on pace for a career year, he is in the first of three years of arbitration eligibility. The additional control is one of the reasons he was drawing interest on the trade market. The Rays are hoping this move provides a spark after a brutal July.
“Our players want to win. I think the way our team is built, I think they’d all probably agree this is a way to really help us do that,” Neander said. “July has been a tough month. There’s no way around it. It’s been a really challenging month — the ball hasn’t bounced our way.”
With the talented righthander set to make his Rays debut on Saturday, he will be looking to build on his recent success. The Connecticut native has posted a 1.45 ERA in his last six starts and has not allowed more than two earned runs in a start since June 25. In his final start as a Guardian, he did not allow a run in six innings of work.
While the season is still far from over, the Rays' rotation received a significant boost for the rest of the 2023 campaign and beyond as they make their playoff push.
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