Both the Nationals & Red Sox are hunting for a playoff spot. And late on July 26, the clubs made quite the swap, as left-hander Connelly Early was shipped to Washington for breakout infielder Curtis Mead.

The Nationals’ Return

• SP Connelly Early (3.44 ERA, 93 K over 91.2 IP)

The Red Sox saw Connelly Early sprint through the farm system last year, and ended his breakout campaign as a key cog for a playoff-bound Boston team. While Early is currently on the injured list with elbow inflammation, the rookie left-hander has been very good this season for the Sox.

He struck out 93 over 91 IP this season with the Red Sox, part of a rotation that was heavy on left-handed rookies, as Payton Tolle and former Nationals prospect Jake Bennett have both logged significant innings in Boston this season.

The book hasn’t changed much on Early since last year. It’s a deep arsenal for the 24-year-old left-hander, who boasted a four-seamer that ran up to 97 MPH this season. He’ll also regularly break out a vicious sweeper, a pitch that had a Whiff% over 40% this season and made hitters look silly at times. Plus, a sinker, a curveball, a changeup, and a slider.

Early did get touched up on the curveball this season, though.

Early has five years of team control beyond 2026.

The Red Sox’s Return

• CI Curtis Mead (.254/.352/.500, 17 HR & 35 XBH over 87 GP)

The expectations have been high over the years for Curtis Mead, once a top prospect who bloomed in the Rays’ system after Tampa Bay acquired him from the Phillies in a small trade back in 2019. Philadelphia received a lower-level pitching prospect named Cristopher Sanchez, who turned out pretty well.

As for Mead, he struggled to find footing at the big-league level. He spent parts of three seasons with the Rays before Tampa Bay flipped him to Chicago (AL) at the deadline last season. The White Sox dealt him in early 2026 to Washington for Minor League catcher Boston Smith.

Since last season, the changes have been near night and day. Last season, Mead had his hands way up at the plate in a slightly open stance. Now, the hands are down, he’s more stable at the plate, and it’s yielded big results. Seventeen home runs in what has been a career year for the right-handed-hitting infielder, who is a pull hitter, by the way.

But aside from the mechanical changes at the dish, Mead’s also been significantly more disciplined at the plate. Two years ago, Mead had one of the most egregious chase rates in the league. When he was in the Majors last year, he tampered that down considerably.

And he did so even further in 2026, part of the reason why he has a BB% above 10%.

Like Early, Mead is a pre-arbitration player.

Analysis

This is the second notable trade that Craig Breslow and Paul Toboni, previously an assistant with the Red Sox, have made over the last year. Late in 2025, the two clubs swapped pitching prospects, as hard-throwing prospect Luis Perales went to Washington for Jake Bennett. It’s a move that worked well for the Sox, who picked up Bennett after a great run in the Arizona Fall League.

For this trade, the move is under somewhat different pretenses. Both the Nationals and the Red Sox have different needs, and the two addressed their respective holes with a creative swap of two controllable assets.

In Washington’s case, the move can be boiled down to this: the Nats needed pitching. While the Nationals do have some interesting pitchers in the Minors, like Jackson Kent, who could help as early as 2026, Washington’s top pitching prospects aren’t close to the bigs. And in a year where the Nats could make it, picking up Early — provided he can come back soon — provides a unique opportunity.

Which is to get a young, controllable arm who’s a proven Major League commodity.

As for the Red Sox, Boston had a glut of left-handed pitchers. That’s not a bad thing per se. However, that cache helped the Sox get a right-handed power hitter who, on paper, could fit in very well up at Fenway Park.

However, it will be interesting how the Sox structure the infield moving forward. Caleb Durbin has hit well of late, although his slash line of .233/.300/.391 isn’t sexy.

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