Brewers First Base Depth Results in Trade of 2021 10th Rounder

It wasn’t that long ago that the Milwaukee Brewers were lacking big time on first base depth in the minors. Replenishing the position at the big league level meant making a trade or free agent signing because there was nothing coming up the pipeline.

While the Brewers still haven’t had any homegrown players reach the majors at first recently, they’ve made strides in building some depth there. One player from that group who was getting close to The Show was 25-year-old Wes Clarke.

Clarke, a 10th round pick out of the University of South Carolina in 2021, was drafted as a catcher but had gravitated more toward first base and DH the longer he was in the minors. While he hit for a low average, his power bat kept him moving through the system.

In his second year with Triple-A Nashville, Clarke had 68 doubles, 72 homers, and 250 RBIs in 387 career minor games in the Brewers organization coming into today. And apparently, that is where he will stay.

On Tuesday, the Brewers traded 1B Wes Clarke to the Astros.

Tonight, MLB insider Francys Romero revealed that Clarke had been traded to the Astros. The move has yet to be confirmed by the Brewers themselves.

Looking at the organizational depth at first base, it’s not hard to see why. The Brewers just received Andrew Vaughn from the White Sox in a trade for starter Aaron Civale. He joins Tyler Black, who was just activated from the IL, Bobby Dalbec, and Ernesto Martinez Jr. at Triple-A, all of which can play first.

And that’s not all. The Brewers also have Luke Adams mashing down at Double-A Biloxi. And at High-A Wisconsin, 2024 34th overall pick Blake Burke is making a name for himself.

Clarke’s numbers this season might have sealed the deal on his trade to Houston. In 46 games, he was slashing .216/.352/.358 with two doubles, six homers, and 16 RBIs, lighter numbers than he’d put up in his previous seasons so far.

Clarke now gets to join an Astros organization that hasn’t had decent first base production since Yuli Gurriel in 2021. It’ll be a better opportunity for him than in a suddenly stocked system like the Brewers.