MLB trade grades: Rays land ace Aaron Civale from Guardians for a steep price

The Cleveland Guardians have traded starting pitcher Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays for top prospect Kyle Manzardo. Who won the deal?

Well, that was fast.

On Monday, it was reported that Cleveland was shopping starting pitcher Aaron Civale, targeting controllable, young hitters in exchange. Civale has two arbitration years left on his current deal, so he’s a valuable asset headed to Tampa Bay. The Rays thrive with young pitchers, and they will likely turn an already-impressive Civale into one of the best starters in baseball.

Here is the full trade, as reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Civale was one of the best available starting pitchers on the trade market. This asking price — a top-40 overall prospect in baseball — shows how highly valued pitching is just a day prior to the MLB trade deadline.

MLB trade grades: Rays acquire Aaron Civale from Guardians

Aaron Civale has a 2.34 ERA in 13 starts so far this season. He should immediately slot near the top of Tampa Bay’s rotation as they hope to win the AL East. Tampa is in a battle with the Baltimore Orioles atop the division, with the loser likely entering the postseason as a Wild Card team.

Tampa Bay Rays trade grade: B+

Yes, Manzardo feels like a steep price to pay for Civale, but it must be factored in that he’s signed through the 2025 season. Also, Tampa has one of the richest farm systems in all of baseball, meaning they could afford to part ways with a player like Manzardo. The Rays also already have Yandy Diaz playing first base, who is in the midst of an excellent season himself. They aren’t losing as much as a prospect ranking might suggest.

Cleveland Guardians trade grade: B

I have some questions here. First, Cleveland opted for a high-ceiling return, rather than acquiring multiple prospects to fill out the depth of their farm system. Second, why trade one of your best starting pitchers when they’re still in the AL Central race?

All that being said, Manzardo is a top-40 prospect for a reason. Here is MLB Pipeline’s description of what he brings to the plate:

"“The left-handed slugger can be a hitting coach’s dream. Utilizing a relatively quiet setup at the plate, he often sees pitches out of the hand well and makes impressive swing decisions, thus cutting down on strikeouts while maintaining healthy walk rates. His hitting performance was remarkably consistent following his first jump to the upper Minors, strengthening the belief that he could threaten for multiple Major League seasons around (or exceeding) a .300 average.”"

That undoubtedly sounds like something the Guardians are currently lacking, making this trade a win for both sides. Tampa needs pitching at the top level of their rotation, while Cleveland needed young, controllable hitters. Check.