The Chicago Cubs have added another pitcher. 

They made a trade on Saturday to acquire Aaron Civale from the Athletics. Civale was recently designated for assignment, and the Cubs quickly made a move for the veteran right-hander. Chicago gave up pitching prospect Aiden Moffett in return.  

Full Details: 

Cubs Receive: Aaron Civale, cash considerations 

Athletics Receive: Aiden Moffett

The Cubs have not shied away from making moves for struggling pitchers this season. They acquired Tyler Ferguson from the Athletics earlier in the year, acquired David Peterson from the Mets last month, and now added Civale from the Athletics. 

Civale is in the midst of a career-worst season on the mound. He has a 5.42 ERA, 1.621 WHIP, and a 17% strikeout rate across 74 ⅔ innings pitched. The right-hander has given up at least four runs in six of his last seven starts and just allowed four runs across 2 ⅓ innings in his last outing against the White Sox before the All-Star break. 

There really aren’t many positives to point out about Civale's 2026 campaign. He has a 17th percentile expected ERA (5.13), a 10th percentile expected batting average against (.276), a 10th percentile average exit velocity (90.7 mph), and an 11th percentile whiff rate (20%). 

So, why did the Cubs trade for Civale?

1. Familiarity 

Civale spent some time in the Cubs organization last year. Chicago claimed him off waivers in late August, and he threw the ball well in his limited innings with the team to end the 2025 campaign. 

The 31-year-old had a 2.08 ERA and a 28% strikeout rate across 13 innings pitched in September. He then threw 4 ⅓ scoreless innings in Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. 

2. Better Away From Sutter Health Park 

Civale has obviously had a poor all-around season in 2026. His 5.42 ERA is on pace to be the worst of his career, and his underlying metrics don’t offer much optimism moving forward. 

However, he did post much better numbers away from Sutter Health Park this year. The veteran had a 6.96 ERA at home, compared to a 4.25 ERA on the road. He’ll go from pitching in an extremely hitter-friendly park to a pitcher-friendly park at Wrigley Field. 

3. Cubs Need All The Pitching They Can Get 

It’s no secret that the Cubs need all the pitching they can get. They have 11 pitchers currently on the injured list, including Ben Brown, Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton, Justin Steele, Daniel Palencia, Hoby Milner, and Hunter Harvey. 

The Cubs just need some fresh, healthy arms to get them through the season. Civale can provide that at this point in the year. 

4. It Cost The Cubs Nothing 

The Cubs bought Civale at his lowest value. All they needed to give up was Aiden Moffett, a struggling 22-year-old pitcher at Low-A. Moffett has a 9.67 ERA across 22 ⅓ innings pitched this season.