Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early to Nationals for INF Curtis Mead

The Boston Red Sox are sending a piece of their young pitching staff away for a bat.

Early had emerged as a potential future staple of the Red Sox rotation this season. The 24-year-old posted a 3.44 ERA over 91.2 innings while striking out 93 batters.

A fifth-round pick by Boston in 2023, Early has been on the injured list since June 1, however, with left shoulder inflammation.

Early made his MLB debut in 2025, making four starts for the Red Sox down the stretch in their run to the post-season. He started Game 3 of Boston’s wild-card series loss to the New York Yankees last October, as well.

Going the other way in this one-for-one trade is Mead, who had long been considered a top prospect in baseball while coming up with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mead didn’t deliver on the hype immediately, struggling through parts of three major-league seasons with the Rays and Chicago White Sox before landing with the Nationals this spring, where he has finally found his footing.

After going 0-for-3 with a pair of walks earlier Saturday, the 25-year-old Australian owns an .852 OPS with 17 homers over 87 games this season while spending time defensively at third and first base.

He will now join a Red Sox team that has won 16 of its last 18 games, surging into the post-season picture in the American League.

Boston’s current third baseman, Caleb Durbin, told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe earlier Saturday that he would be willing to move to second base if the Red Sox acquired someone to man the hot corner ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.