The Red Sox sent a lefty Connelly Early in the Nationals for infielder Curtis MeadESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. The parties have not yet announced the agreement.
An interesting one-on-one exchange between two teams tight in the playoff race. Boston currently holds the last AL Wild Card spot. The club is adding a former first baseman out of DC Mead who is likely to move into third base, with Caleb Durbin which may have advanced to second base. Washington sits two games out of a postseason bid. The Nats have the highest scoring offense in baseball, but they’re starting with a rotation.
The 24-year-old Early posted a solid 3.44 ERA through 17 starts in his first full season in the majors. He was sidelined in July with elbow inflammation, but has since returned to action on the mound. When healthy, Early quickly steps in as Washington’s top three starter. The Nats’ rotation was led by an All-Star Foster Griffin and earlier hope Cade Cavalli. After that duo, it has been combining the innings in between Zack Littell, Miles Mikolasagain Andrew Alvarezusually as mass-release materials after openings.
One of the top prospects in Boston’s system, Early burst onto the scene with an 11-hit game in his big league debut last September. He allowed just five earned runs in his first four starts. He initially struggled in his first postseason run, but a solid close to the regular season was enough to earn him a roster spot this year.
Early hitters’ numbers have dropped closer to league average. His walking speed has increased close to what it was when he was younger. Run prevention remains solid, but a 4.04 SIERA and 4.14 xFIP may be a more accurate representation of his abilities this season. Still, he’s loaded with great talent for a Nationals organization in need of upside. Early has five years of team control left beyond this season.
Boston will part with Early to add 25-year-old Mead. The former top prospect couldn’t stick with the Rays. He was waived by the White Sox earlier in the year and came to the Nationals in a minor trade. This move was seen as one of the wisest decisions of the new president of operations Paul Toboni. Mead has an excellent wRC+ of 135 in 322 plate appearances as Washington’s first baseman. After hitting five home runs in his first 152 major league games, Mead has already gone deep 17 times this season. He has four years in control of the team after this year.
The new regime in DC made several important changes with Mead. Chases less, hits less, and takes up more space in the strike zone. The refined approach resulted in a strikeout rate below 20% and a healthy 11.5% walk rate. Mead also turned improved swing decisions into more valuable connections. After three years of a low strikeout rate, he has increased that number to 42.5% this year. He more than doubled his barrel rate with the Nats.
Mead spent time on the right side of the infield early in the season, but has been a full-time third baseman since Homes in Brady he was demoted. The results have been very small, but not insignificant, in defense. Mead posted -2 Defensive Runs Saved and -4 Outs Above Average at the hot corner. His production has been similarly lacking at first and second base.
Speaking of House, he will be remembered as Mead’s replacement, reports Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Hope delivered mediocre results at the plate and struggled in the field before being demoted. House is hot for kids lately. He has a .948 OPS with 19 extra-base hits in 19 games this month. House will likely return to close daily work in third place, with Jorbit Vivas from time to time.
On the Boston side, the rotation hasn’t missed a beat since Early and Guard Suarez he came down. Jake Bennett emerged as a strong choice. Patrick Sandoval it has provided decent production since it came out of the 60 day IL. Suarez is expected to return to the team on Sunday. Even with Garrett Crochet aside, the Red Sox have the depth to tackle a promising arm like Early to improve the program.
Photo courtesy of David Butler II and Kelley L Cox, Imagn Images
