The Milwaukee Brewers were caught by surprise before kicking off a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Aaron Civale requested a trade after the team moved him into a bullpen role. Civale, who has been a starter throughout his whole career, is not willing to move into a new role for manager Pat Murphy. With Brandon Woodruff facing setbacks in his injury recovery and Freddy Peralta doing his best as Milwaukee's ace, the rotation has been a point of emphasis all season.

After Civale's request, the Brewers now face a crossroads. On one hand, Milwaukee could reinstate him as a starter and try to smooth things over. On the other, they could honor his request and try to find the best deal.

Murphy, for one, expects Civale to handle the drama as a professional. If his number is called upon, Milwaukee's manager anticipates that the 30-year-old righty will do everything he can to help his team win, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.

Article Continues Below
More Milwaukee Brewers News
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Aaron Civale (32) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park.
Brewers make immediate roster move after Aaron Civale tradeMalik Brown ·
image thumbnail
Grading Brewers-White Sox Aaron Civale tradeChristopher Hennessy ·
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Civale (32) delivers a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at American Family Field.
Brewers trade Aaron Civale to White Sox after requestChristopher Hennessy ·
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (33) throws a pitch during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field.
Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski pleads ignorance on no-hitter after early injury exitChristopher Hennessy ·
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (33) throws a pitch during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski’s first 3 MLB pitches leaves fans stunnedJosh Davis ·
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Aaron Civale (32) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at American Family Field.
Brewers pitcher requests trade after bullpen moveMalik Brown ·

“He’s got a right to feel how he wants to feel, but now it’s time for him to go behave. He’s got to go pitch for us if we ask him to pitch for us, and I think he will. He’s that type of guy and I respect him a great deal.”

Civale's request comes at a crucial point in Milwaukee's season. Their series against the Cardinals could shake things up in the National League Central. At 36-33, the Brewers are a half game behind St. Louis in the standings. If they can pull off a sweep and the Chicago Cubs struggle against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Murphy's team could finish the weekend only a couple games out of the division lead.

Milwaukee's front office and the rest of Major League Baseball are still reacting to Civale's request. For now, though, Murphy's focus remains on the next game. However, Peralta's play on the mound and Woodruff's recovery would become even more important if the team acts on Civale's request.

Murphy's approach to the situation is professional. At the end of the day, though, he needs to do whatever his team needs to win games. If that means putting an unhappy Civale on the mound, that is exactly what will happen.