Aspiring athletes often dream about one day playing professionally for their local team. While some of those big dreamers eventually do get to represent their city on the biggest sporting stage, others are destined to watch from the sidelines while wondering what could've been.
The Boston Red Sox have rostered several local talents throughout their illustrious career, ranging from the likes of Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk to 2018 World Series MVP Steve Pearce, as well as the ageless wonder Rich Hill and everyone else in between.
As it turns out, the Red Sox have an opportunity to add another local name to the history books after a New England-born pitcher was just traded to the American League's worst team.
Red Sox Must Save RHP Aaron Civale After Being Traded to White Sox
After demanding a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week, Connecticut-born right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale was traded to the Chicago White Sox on Friday morning. First baseman Andrew Vaughn was sent to Milwaukee as a result, while cash also made its way to the Windy City alongside Civale.
Even though he's yet to pitch for the White Sox, Civale is someone the Red Sox might want to keep an eye on. MassLive's Chris Cotillo is reporting that the veteran hurler is open to a Boston move in the future.
"We've been told Civale would absolutely love to pitch for the Red Sox at some point in his career," Cotillo reported on Thursday afternoon following the 30-year-old RHP's trade request.
Much like other previous local talents, it isn't surprising to learn that Civale wants to play for the Red Sox. His hometown of East Windsor, CT, is only a two-hour drive outside of Boston. He also played college baseball at Northeastern University, where he was named the 2016 CAA Co-Pitcher of the Year, and even spent time in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Since making his MLB debut in 2019, Civale has pitched 122 starts spread between his time with the Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Cleveland Guardians. He played to a 40-37 record, 4.06 ERA, and 6.7 WAR during that stretch, all while striking out 596 batters across 658 1/3 innings. That includes going 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA in five starts with the Brewers this season.
Civale will become a free agent after the 2025 season is over, opening a few paths for him to join the Red Sox rotation. Boston can either wait until the winter for him to hit the open market or it can attempt a trade with Chicago. Since the White Sox likely won't make the playoffs, they could be open to trading Civale before the deadline rather than losing him for nothing in free agency.
With how inconsistent starting pitchers Lucas Giolito, Walker Buehler, and Tanner Houck have been so far, it isn't unfathomable to imagine the Red Sox wanting to shake things up. Civale, for the right price, could be the perfect solution to those issues, especially if he's motivated by playing for his local MLB club.