With the trade now complete and details released, the Athletics and Chicago Cubs Aaron Civale trade grades come out similar, as both teams are in a position to benefit. Two weeks out from the MLB trade deadline, the Cubs struck early and made a trade with the Athletics. While they are expected to make more moves before the deadline, trades made for depth are important for teams like Chicago that are experiencing waves of injuries. Here are grades and analysis for the two teams involved in the trade.
With the Cubs struggling with injuries in their starting rotation and bullpen, they decided to make a move and trade for Aaron Civale from the Athletics. This move was made to address both starting and bullpen depth at a cheap organizational cost. A familiar face, the pitcher had a stint with Chicago at the end of 2025 before signing with the Athletics in the offseason on a one -year, $6 million contract.
While Cubs fans remember him as a relief pitcher for the team in 2025, this season he has returned as a starter for the Athletics. The 2026 MLB season has seen Civale struggle, leading the Athletics to designate him for assignment before being traded to Chicago. In 16 games pitched with 15 starts this season, he posted a 5-7 record with a 5.42 earned run average and a 1.62 WHIP. During his 74.2 innings pitched, Civale had 52 strikeouts and walked 23 batters, good for a 2.52 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Acquired much earlier in the season in 2026 compared to last year, Civale will likely not be relegated to only relief appearances for the Cubs. Chicago added the 31-year-old as starting depth and to be available to make appearances as an innings filler if the starter gets replaced early. With the low acquisition cost of a low-level prospect for Civale, this was a low-risk, high-reward type trade for the Cubs.
The exact financial figures from the “cash considerations” portion of the trade have not been publicly disclosed. While public information, the cash sent to Chicago is most likely amounting to offset a portion of the remaining money remaining on the $6 million Civale is earning in 2026.
Chicago Cubs Grade: B
An undrafted free agent, Aiden Moffett signed with the Cubs in 2025. The former LSU Tiger and Texas Longhorn pitcher has spent time in single-A and the Arizona Complex League during the 2026 minor league season. Working his way through Chicago’s minor leagues, Moffett has exclusively appeared as a relief pitcher, echoing his time in college.
So far during the minor league season, Moffett has struggled with control in the ACL and single-A Myrtle Beach before the trade. In 17 relief appearances in the two leagues, he posted a 9.67 ERA over 22.1 innings pitched. During these relief appearances, Moffett has walked an astonishing 42 batters compared to only 25 strikeouts.
Now with the Athletics, the 22-year-old has a long path to reach the major leagues. With the Athletics designating Civale for assignment, they were able to get at least some value rather than letting him leave for nothing. Whether Moffett will pan out will be seen over the next several years.
Athletics Grade: B
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With the trade deadline looming, the Cubs and Athletics struck a trade to send pitching depth to Chicago for a low-level relief pitcher. While not the most exciting trade that Cubs fans have been asking for, finding a pitcher like Civale that can chew up innings is not an easy task. For the Athletics, getting any value for a player designated for assignment is graded as a plus for the team. Both teams seeing a benefit is why the Chicago Cubs Aaron Civale trade grades come out equal.
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