D-backs-Brewers Pitching Matchup is Tough Reminder of Ugly Trade

This old trade is still haunting the D-backs.

Apr 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Chad Patrick (39) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the fourth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

If one were to examine Tuesday evening's Arizona Diamondbacks-Milwaukee Brewers pitching matchup, a 2.35 ERA-wielding, 27-year-old Brewers starting pitcher would be nothing out of the ordinary.

But that pitcher — right-hander Chad Patrick — was once a Diamondback. And he now stands out as a reminder of one of Arizona's less-beneficial trades from the past several seasons.

Former D-back Chad Patrick is a reminder of ugly trade

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Chad Patrick throws during the first inning of their game against the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Back in the 2023 regular season, the D-backs were in the thick of a playoff chase. At that year's trade deadline, Arizona went out in search of some veteran infield help.

The D-backs picked up veteran infielder Jace Peterson from the then-Oakland Athletics. The price was a 24-year-old Patrick, who had pitched to a 4.71 ERA in Double-A Amarillo at that point in his baseball journey.

Not much was thought of the trade at the time, although Peterson did not produce to the point where it looked like a benificial deal initially. But in general, Patrick was not a loss that was excessively mourned by D-backs fans or media.

And then, Patrick was dealt to the Brewers — an organization notorious for bringing the best out of even the most nondescript pitchers. Milwaukee got Patrick from Oakland in exchange for infielder Abraham Toro.

And since then, Patrick has turned into a legitimate major league weapon. In 2025, he made his major league debut, and pitched to a 3.53 ERA with 127 strikeouts over the course of 27 appearances (23 starts) in 119.2 total innings. Not a bad start to his major league career. He gave up two runs in six relief appearances (nine innings) in the 2025 postseason.

This season, Patrick has appeared to be even more proficient in the early going. He has a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings, making three starts and two relief appearances.

Peterson, meanwhile, did not amount to an impact player as a member of the D-backs. Though known as a positive veteran presence, his on-field results were poor.

He hit .183/.276/.258 with Arizona in 2023, then put together a .199 OPS in 14 games to begin 2024 before he was eventually designated for assignment. Peterson has not played in a major- or minor-league game since the 2024 season.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Jace Peterson lines out to center against the Oakland A's in the third inning during a spring training game at Salt Rivers Fields. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

It's never quite fair to evaluate how Patrick may or may not have performed within the D-backs' system after seeing him succeed in the Milwaukee pitching lab. The Brewers organization has a consistent track record of doing so with even some of the more unlikely candidates.

But in hindsight — which is also a less-than-fair evaluation tool — the sheer lack of production from Peterson, coupled with the eventual major league-caliber development from Patrick, is a bit of a tough reality to swallow for D-backs fans, especially given Arizona's lack of pitching depth in many of their recent seasons.

Perhaps in a different timeline, Patrick would be pitching for Arizona on Tuesday. Instead, it will be veteran righty Merrill Kelly on the mound, going up against the arm the D-backs dealt away.