The Athletics agreed to terms with right-hander Aaron Civale on a one-year, $6 million contract on Tuesday, reported Jon Heyman on X. The 30-year-old veteran brings experience to a young A’s squad aiming for a playoff spot in 2026, with up to $1.5 million available in reported performance incentives.
Civale joins to fortify a starting rotation that dragged down a lineup capable of competing in 2025. While the offense showed flashes of potential, pitching remained the team’s weak link, posting one of the American League’s worst ERAs.
The 2025 season took Civale across three clubs. He opened the year with the Milwaukee Brewers before a midseason trade to the Chicago White Sox, then finished strong after landing with the Cubs.
His numbers left room for improvement. Civale logged a 4.85 ERA — his second-worst mark in five full big league seasons and well above the 4.15 league average, per Baseball Reference. In 102 innings, he managed just four wins against nine losses, though his 1.265 WHIP reflected decent command, pairing with 88 strikeouts. Still, the deal offers Civale a chance to rebound while providing stability to an inexperienced staff.
The now 30 years old, Civale debuted with Cleveland in 2019 and broke out in 2021 with a 3.84 ERA over 21 starts. Injuries hampered him in 2023, but he showed durability last year despite the team carousel. His sinker-slider mix and ability to eat innings could anchor the A’s rotation alongside holdovers like JP Sears and Joey Estes.
The A’s enter 2026 with playoff aspirations after a 76-86 record in 2025, their first full year in Sacramento. Civale’s signing — modest by free-agent standards — may fit that pursuit of October baseball for the green and gold franchise.
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