MLB insider reveals Brewers trade of intriguing first base prospect to Astros

Last Friday, the Milwaukee Brewers traded starting pitcher Aaron Civale to the Chicago White Sox for first baseman Andrew Vaughn. The Brewers immediately assigned Vaughn to Triple-A Nashville, where he joined Ernesto Martinez Jr., Wes Clarke, Tyler Black, and Bobby Dalbec as players whose primary position is first base. While Dalbec, Black, and even Vaughn are capable of manning a corner outfield spot, it's still a ridiculous number of players competing for starts at first base. As a result, the Brewers reportedly sent Clarke to the Houston Astros in a trade on Tuesday night, according to Francys Romero of beisbolfr.com.

While the Brewers return has yet to be announced, something other than cash should be coming back to the Brewers, as Clarke is an intriguing prospect close to making his MLB debut. In 2024, Clarke climbed as high as 25th on the Brewers' Top-30 prospects list, according to MLB Pipeline. A 10th-round pick out of the University of South Carolina in 2021, Clarke's best season in the Brewers' farm system came in 2023 for the Biloxi Shuckers. While playing in the pitcher-friendly Southern League, Clarke posted a slash line of .241/.392/.497 with 26 HR and 24 doubles. While his strikeout numbers have always been high, the elite slugging ability has kept Clarke in the top-prospect conversation and allowed him to rise through the Brewers' minor league system. Now, he gets a fresh start with more opportunities in the Astros' organization.

Brewers trade Wes Clarke to Houston Astros after adding Bobby Dalbec and Andrew Vaughn in the last month

The Brewers trade of Clarke is a direct result of the team's recent acquisitions of both Bobby Dalbec, a former top prospect and first baseman for the Boston Red Sox, and Andrew Vaughn, who had a few productive seasons as the Chicago White Sox' first baseman. At the moment, the Brewers are prioritizing giving at-bats to Dalbec and Vaughn, as well as Martinez and Black, who have been in the Brewers organization for many years.

Clarke, who is slashing .216/.352/.358 with six home runs this season, joins an Astros organization that should give him a better opportunity to crack a big league roster. It looked like Clarke was nearing an MLB debut with the Brewers after his previous two seasons, but with the Crew loading up on first base talent this season, Clarke's path to the majors in Milwaukee became less clear.

Stay tuned for more on what the Brewers received in return for Clarke. Any updates to tonight’s trade will be added directly to this article, so be sure to check in for more information.

UPDATE (June 18 @ 12:28 p.m. CT): The Brewers’ return is officially just cash, as revealed by Brewers beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Curt Hogg on X.