Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox front office finalized a trade on Saturday night, sending left-hander Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead (per ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan).
Mead, 25, is in his fourth MLB season, and he's having a breakout year. A career .244/.321/.388 hitter who has never slugged more than three home runs or driven in more than 19 runs in a season before 2026, Mead is hitting .254/.352/.500 this year with 17 home runs and 48 RBI.
Red Sox just traded Connelly Early to the Nationals for Curtis Mead
Mead's offensive numbers this season would make him the second-best bat on the Red Sox had he been playing with Boston since Opening Day.
Where does Curtis Mead immediately rank in the Red Sox lineup?
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) July 26, 2026
135 wRC+ - 2nd
.359 xwOBA - 2nd
.856 OPS - 2nd
.351 OBP - 2nd
.505 SLG - 2nd
17 HR - 2nd
Willson Contreras is the only bat ahead of him at the moment. pic.twitter.com/bFSZ8Bvskl
While Mead's right-handed bat and infield versatility make him a good fit with the Red Sox, who were indeed in need of more offense, there were plenty of lukewarm reactions to this trade among trusted observers of the club. MassLive's Chris Cotillo, for instance, labeled the trade "a big overpay" while reminding everyone that Mead's really only been playing at his current level for four months or so.
Mead-for-Early would have been an unthinkable trade a few months ago when Mead was sent form CWS to WSH for their most recent sixth-round pick. But Washington is capitalizing on a breakout first four months to nab Early.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) July 26, 2026
Call it an overpay. It very well might have been. But Breslow setting the market with such a (perceived) high price will affect the Red Sox's other competitors who are buying at this year's deadline. Early was someone Boston could have afforded to trade for an offensive weapon they needed. Other teams don't quite have that luxury.
Boston's surplus of starting pitchers (and the emergence of Jake Bennett) makes this trade defensible
The Red Sox's pitching staff is their greatest strength. Boston has the fourth-best ERA in baseball and plenty of capable starting pitchers, even with Garrett Crochet sidelined.
Moreover, the rise of Jake Bennett gave the Red Sox not one, not two, but three young left-handed starters with upside. Payton Tolle being the most electric (and probably, most valuable) of those three, a trade involving either Early or Bennett felt feasible, and here we are. Would certain Red Sox fans have preferred to part ways with Bennett? Maybe. But with how good he's looked lately, it's not outlandish to argue that he's a better pitcher than Early right now, and perhaps moving into the future as well.
As big of a bet as this is on Curtis Mead, it’s almost just as big of a bet on Jake Bennett.
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) July 26, 2026
No one's shocked to see the Red Sox trade a starting pitcher for a right-handed bat, but many expected Sonny Gray to be the guy dealt, not a talented, young left-hander with team control like Early.
At the end of the day, you have to give up value to get value in return. Losing Early stings, but at least the Red Sox have plenty of pitching to ease the pain of that loss.
There's been a lot of buzz about Breslow and Co. being aggressive at this deadline to solidify Boston's recent success and really go for it in a wide-open American League. If this move was an overpay, at least it's a sign that Breslow is throwing caution to the wind and trying to win now. It's a move that you make if you believe you can legitimately contend this season.
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