Athletics Signing Veteran Starter Aaron Civale

The A's are in agreement with Aaron Civale on a 1-year deal worth $6 million, plus incentives.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Aaron Civale (38) pitches in the sixth inning between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Sept. 20, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the A's have agreed to a one-year deal with veteran starting pitcher Aaron Civale. Civale, 30, is a seven-year MLB veteran with plenty of experience to play alongside fellow veterans Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs. With a lot of young talent on the A's staff, they have now added a solid arm before the start of Spring Training.

A's, RHP Aaron Civale reportedly agree to deal, per @MLBNetwork insider @JonHeyman. pic.twitter.com/8yElxO4J43

— MLB (@MLB) February 10, 2026

Aaron Civale played for three different clubs in the 2025 season, as he started in Milwaukee, and made two more stops, one with each club in Chicago. Although his time with the White Sox was pretty underwhelming, posting a 5.37 ERA in 67 innings, his time on the North Side would go smoother.

In just thirteen innings for the Cubs, Civale posted an impressive 2.08 ERA in five relief appearances. Notably, he finished two games and even recorded a save for the Cubbies. Although he didn't make any starts with the Cubs, he will likely join the A's rotation for the 2026 season, as the club has been hoping to sign a veteran starter for much of the offseason.

The Northeastern product finished his 2025 campaign with a 4.85 ERA on 102 innings pitched. Although those numbers aren't super impressive, he did finish the year strong in September with the Cubs, and held an above-average hard hit percentage (62nd percentile), and average exit velocity against (69th).

Civale has a six-pitch mix which includes a cutter, curveball, sinker, four-seam, slider, and splitter, which the A's could've liked to add to their rotation. His experience of seven big league seasons, including some very impressive seasons in Cleveland, also likely made his name an attractive one for the club.

The A's have lots of young pitching talent that includes Luis Morales, Jacob Lopez, and Jack Perkins either in, or on the cusp of the big leagues, with other guys like Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold as high-potential prospects. Having three solidified veterans atop the pitching staff will certainly help their development.

Aaron Civale is off the board and headed out west on a $6m deal with the A’s

Although he pushed to start games in 2025, he might be a very effective reliever

'25 RP Stats:
13 IP
2.08 ERA
28&/0% K/BB
.149 BAA

I'm interested to see how he ultimately gets utilized in 2026 🤔 pic.twitter.com/c1WlX9Evwe

— Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) February 10, 2026

Since Civale was productive out of the bullpen in 2025, the team could also look to make him a full-time reliever at some point this season. However, the team recently added veterans Scott Barlow and Mark Leiter Jr. to round out their bullpen, so there might not be any more spots open with how the team is currently constructed.

The team is likely banking on Civale to return to his solid starter form from his time in Cleveland. Civale was even more impactful in 2024 with Milwaukee, where he was able to 3.53 ERA in 74 innings. Even though Civale has proven he's good in relief, it likely makes most sense for him to join the A's rotation.

Following the signing, the A's rotation will likely consist of Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Aaron Civale, Jacob Lopez, and Luis Morales. The mix of veteran presence as well as the young talents of Lopez and Morales could fare well this season. After a pair of improving seasons from the green and gold, the club could not be too far off from postseason contention.