Who Won the Guardians-Rays, Aaron Civale Trade?

Will Kyle Manzardo end up being a good return for the Cleveland Guardians in the Aaron Civale trade?

The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays completed one of the bigger deals of the 2023 trade deadline. Tampa Bay sent highly rated prospect Kyle Manzardo to Cleveland in exchange for starting pitcher Aaron Civale.

With both teams' seasons coming to a close, who really won this trade when looking back on it?

Civale had an ERA of 2.34 and a 1.04 WHIP when the Rays traded for him. Tampa was looking to add another arm to their rotation and Civale was one of the most reliable pitchers on the market.

Sep 4, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Aaron Civale (34) leaves the game against the Boston Red Sox in the sixth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The success he had in Cleveland through the first half of the season didn't quite translate to the Rays. Civale made 10 starts for his new cub and had an ERA of 5.36 with an opponent batting average of 2.79. This included one start against the Guardians in which he gave up two runs and seven hits in 5.0 innings of work.

Tampa reached the playoffs but was eliminated by the Texas Rangers in two quick games. Since the series didn't go to a game three, Civale never even got an opportunity to pitch in the postseason in 2023. 

Needless to say, this was not the plan or the pitcher the Rays were hoping for when they traded for Civale.

What about Cleveland's return?

Guardians fans were a little puzzled and confused by this trade because they already lacked pitching depth and were still in play for the AL Central at the time. Still, the idea of bringing in a prospect such as Manzardo who has a ton of hitting potential was an intriguing idea.

Manzardo was injured at the time of the trade and returned to the field on August 23 for the Columbus Clippers. He went on to slash .256/.348/.590 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 21 games for Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate.  

The 23-year-old is also currently tearing it up in the Arizona Fall League showing the organization he's ready for a Big League promotion.

At this point, it's hard to say that the Rays aren't the ones who have the edge when evaluating who won this swap. The Guardians missed out on the playoffs while the Rays reached the postseason via a Wild Card slot. Civale may not have been the same pitcher he was with the Guardians but he still helped the Rays get to that position. 

However, this outcome could quickly change if Manzardo turns into the player Cleveland is hoping he'll be.