One first-time all-star started his career in Milwaukee but was dealt away in ill-fated trade

The Milwaukee Brewers' representatives in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game serve as ambassadors for two of the greatest trades in franchise history. Catcher William Contreras, acquired before the 2023 season in a deal that only required struggling outfield prospect Esteury Ruiz, will start behind the plate for the National League. Christian Yelich, acquired in the winter of 2018 for four players who are no longer in affiliated baseball, will start in left field.

One of the deals that didn't go nearly as well netted another team an all-star.

No, we're not talking about Corbin Burnes, who made his fourth straight all-star team. The Baltimore Orioles hurler has been excellent for his new team, but the Brewers came away with a young and borderline all-star third baseman in Joey Ortiz, as well as a potential starting pitcher in DL Hall (assuming that he can get healthy).

Cleveland Guardians utility man David Fry, listed as a designated hitter for the American League, was named to his first team after a stellar and surprising first half. The Milwaukee Brewers traded him two years ago in what has been a heavily one-sided exchange.

Who did the Brewers acquire in the trade for David Fry?

Before the 2022 season, the Brewers sent Fry to the Cleveland Guardians as the player-to-be-named later in a deal for relief pitcher J.C. Mejía, who was initially acquired by the Brewers on November 22, 2021.

What has J.C. Mejía done since the trade?

Mejía is no longer in the Brewers organization and was suspended multiple times for using banned substances. In his tiny sample over two seasons in 2022 and 2023, he allowed 13 earned runs in 13⅔ innings, an ERA of 8.56. Mejía had also struggled with Cleveland in 2021, posting an era of 8.25 in 17 games (11 starts) and 52⅓ innings, but he was still just 25 years old when the Brewers added him as relief depth.

Even worse than his on-field performance was his lack of availability. Mejia was suspended 162 games in September of 2023 for a second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug. He had been suspended 80 games in May of 2022 for a first positive test for Stanozolol, a synthetic steroid derived from testosterone. The Brewers released the pitcher in November of 2023.

What has David Fry done since the trade?

Fry, 28, made his Major League debut last year with Cleveland and posted a respectable .734 OPS with four homers and 15 RBIs in 113 plate appearances.

HIs numbers shot through the roof this year. Now in 66 games, he has a .920 OPS with eight homers, 33 RBIs, and 14 doubles. He's also played all over the diamond, with 13 starts at catcher, nine at first base, 13 in left field, two in right field and 14 at DH, plus three appearances at third base.

He's not arbitration eligible until 2026

Why would the Brewers trade David Fry?

The seventh-round pick out of Northwestern State in Louisiana in 2018 was productive in the minor leagues but not numbers that jumped off the page. He never showed up in the team's top 30 prospects put together by MLB.com. He was an intriguing option because of his positional versatility and penchant for power, but all his metrics have improved since joining Cleveland's organization.

Corbin Burnes makes his first all-star game since leaving Milwaukee

Corbin Burnes is the only other ex-Brewers player to make the team, entering the week with a 2.32 ERA in 18 starts and a 1.021 WHIP.

What's up with former Brewers closer Josh Hader?

Speaking of trades, the one that sent Josh Hader to San Diego in 2022 can be viewed a couple different ways, and it hinges somewhat on whether you consider the Contreras-for-Ruiz swap an inextricable component of that deal. But most of that story has now been written; there aren't many scenarios where Hader would have still been in Milwaukee in 2024 after reaching free agency.

Hader gave up a walk-off home run for the Houston Astros on Sunday and has now surrendered eight home runs this year — tied for the most since he yielded 15 in nearly 76 innings of work in 2019. He has a 4.15 ERA in 39 games for the Astros since signing a five-year, $95 million deal before the season.

Hader, 30, has blown only one save on the season but taken five losses. His WHIP (1.051) and strikeout rate (14.1 per nine innings) remain at elite levels, and his walk rate is among the lowest its ever been, but the results have not matched those numbers thanks to the home runs. He rebounded after a tough April but has now allowed at least one earned run in four of his last six outings.