The Chicago White Sox made headlines on Friday morning when the agreed to send former top prospect and No. 3 overall draft pick Andrew Vaughn to the Milwaukee Brewers for 30-year-old starting pitcher Aaron Civale.
Vaughn had underperformed for most of White Sox career, but he was especially disappointing in 2025. The 27-year-old first baseman was hitting .189 with a .531 OPS before he was sent down to Triple-A at the end of May.
It's not a huge shock to see the White Sox move on from Vaughn. The writing was on the wall with Miguel Vargas, Kyle Teel, and Tim Elko all looking like better option to play first base this year and beyond. But it was surprising to see the Sox opt for a veteran starting pitcher as the return for Vaughn.
Civale, who turned 30 this week, recently requested a trade from the Brewers. He was unhappy with his situation in Milwaukee after being booted from the rotation and moved to a bullpen role.
The White Sox will have a full and strong starting rotation once Jonathan Cannon returns from his back injury, which begs the question why Chicago felt the need to add Civale. According to GM Chris Getz, the team is opting for a more unconventional approach.
White Sox to use six-man rotation
General manager Chris Getz told the media on Friday that a six man starting rotation is on the table once Cannon returns off the Injured List.
"It's really about protecting our younger arms," said Getz, who likes Civale's experience and ability to cover innings (via Kyle Williams).
A six-man rotation is on the table for the Sox, per Getz.
— Kyle W (@K_Williamsmedia) June 13, 2025
Shane Smith is looking like an All-Star during his rookie season. Davis Martin is reliable and consistent with a 3.79 ERA. Sean Burke has been hit or miss, but has shown flashes of dominance in his first full MLB season.
Then there's Cannon, who had a respectable 4.15 ERA before a blow up start that also landed him on the IL.
The White Sox have loads of young pitching, but none of these young pitchers have thrown anywhere close to 100 innings in a big league uniform. Hence why the Sox added Adrian Houser - who has a 1.48 ERA in 24.1 innings - to the rotation at the start of June.
Chicago will now add Civale to that mix. With Houser and Civale complimenting Smith, Martin, Burke, and Cannon, the White Sox can deploy a respectable six man starting rotation that also limtis the innings and protects the arms of the inexperienced starters.
If Houser and Civale end up getting moved at the trade deadline, the Sox can always turn to Owen White, Mike Clevinger, or Jesse Scholtens for some spot starts down the stretch.
I'd also keep an eye on Noah Schultz, Shane Murphy, Riley Gowens, and Jake Palisch as potential late season call-ups, similar to what the Sox did last season with Ky Bush and Sean Burke.