Aaron Civale to Make Spring Debut with A's This Week

Aug 15, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Aaron Civale (43) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

While a number of A's players have made their initial appearances this spring, we've been waiting on a pair of arms to toe the rubber. The first of those, Luis Medina, will be making his spring debut on Monday against the San Diego Padres. The right-hander hasn't pitched in a game since July of 2024, spending the 2025 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The other arm we've been waiting on is Aaron Civale, whom the A's signed to a one-year, $6 million deal last month. He'll be making his spring debut on Tuesday when the A's take on Team Brazil in a World Baseball Classic warm-up.

The 30-year-old veteran began his career with the Cleveland Guardians, and in the past three seasons he's moved from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Milwaukee Brewers, and both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox.

Last year he posted a 4.85 ERA (4.63 FIP) across 23 appearances (18 starts) spanning 102 innings of work. At the very least he'll be seen as a reliable innings eater for the A's in the short-term, followed by a potential trade candidate at the deadline if there is a roster crunch as pitching prospects begin to make their ascent to the big leagues.

Civale could also be a stabilizing force in the rotation, adding another veteran to the mix. Back in 2023, the A's just couldn't get any length out of their starting pitchers (hence the awful season), but it's an underrated advantage to have guys that can be league average or better and provide five-plus innings for a club. That saves the bullpen every fifth day, and a fresh bullpen helps aid a winning season.

Plus, with the A's offense, they'll be able to hang in a lot of games, even if the pitching staff doesn't have a Tarik Skubal or a Paul Skenes at the top. This is a roster that is planning to surprise some people.

In his career, Civale holds a 4.14 ERA (4.25 FIP) and he's been a fly-ball pitcher, sitting at a 60.5% fly ball rate. While his strikeout numbers are roughly league average at 21.6% in his career and 20.2% last season, it's his walk rate of 6.6% that stands out a bit. Limiting the free passes will limit the damage an offense can do against him.

A's manager Mark Kotsay has said that he is one of the three pitchers guaranteed a spot in the A's rotation entering the 2026 season, leaving a few other arms fighting for the final two spots.

One of the players that is seen as a favorite for one of those spots is left-hander Jacob Lopez, who really took a step forward last season in his first year with the A's. He has yet to make his own spring debut, but that could also be coming in the next few days.

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