Recent Brewers trade acquisition slugs grand slam in first game in the organization

A middle-of-the-rotation arm dealt around the trade deadline generally nets a few intriguing prospects or sometimes a major league piece. However, after Aaron Civale requested a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers last week, the front office's hands were essentially tied, with their attention focused more on getting their disgruntled starter off the roster than maximizing their return. As a result, the team ended up with a somewhat expensive (by the Brewers’ standards) change-of-scenery candidate in Andrew Vaughn.

As noted by Reviewing the Brew's Sam Phalen, in an article that was published shortly after the Brewers acquired Vaughn, the former Chicago White Sox first baseman has gotten unlucky this season, is a notorious slow starter, and has a track record of success in the major leagues. Even so, the Brewers took a gamble, banking on Vaughn to quickly turn things around and regain his previous form as he has just a year and a half of team control remaining.

Vaughn was assigned to Triple-A Nashville immediately after last Friday's trade — the level that he had been playing in with Chicago, prior to being traded. He joined a crowded first base group, led by Brewers No. 30 prospect Ernesto Martinez Jr. Though Vaughn does have a little experience manning a corner outfield position, Nashville Sounds manager Rick Sweet opted to have him DH in his first game with his new organization. And even though he didn't play the field, Vaughn still had a major impact on the outcome of the game with a big hit in the bottom of the 7th.

Andrew Vaughn slugs grand slam in fourth at-bat in Brewers organization

While the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs faced off at Wrigley Field last night, their Triple-A affiliates, the Nashville Sounds and Iowa Cubs, respectively, matched up at First Horizon Park in Nashville. The pitching matchup was one of former big leaguers as Tobias Myers took the mound for the Sounds and Kenta Maeda opposed him; Myers went six scoreless en route to a Sounds' shutout. However, the big story of the night, in addition to Garrett Mitchell making his first start of his rehab assignment, was on the offensive side of the ball for the Sounds.

Though the Sounds already had a 5-0 lead by the time Vaughn came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Nashville's offense wasn't done yet. Facing left-hander Brandon Hughes, who has made appearances in MLB in each of the last three seasons, Vaughn crushed a high fastball, several inches above the zone, over the left-field fence, giving him his first home run in the Brewers organization and his team a 9-0 lead.

Though it's just one hit from one game, it's an exciting sign of what could be to come for Vaughn, who has never lacked in the power department. He generally hits his stride during the third month of the baseball season, and with the trade deadline looming, a spot could open up for him on the big league roster. For now, the fact that the Brewers were able to get a player with as much upside as Vaughn for a starting pitcher who requested to be traded is worth celebrating in its own right.