We are officially entering MLB trade deadline season, with the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals executing a notable swap late Saturday night.
The Red Sox are dealing young starting pitcher Connelly Early to D.C. in exchange for third baseman Curtis Mead, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is reportedly a straight 1-for-1, with no prospects or cash exchanging hands.
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The deal is about filling a need for the Red Sox and taking a risk on a young, controllable pitcher recovering from left elbow inflammation for the Nationals.
The Red Sox are suddenly on solid footing in the AL wild-card race, but still had some holes to fill entering the trade deadline if they were serious about a playoff run. Third base was one of those positions, as Caleb Durbin — acquired at significant expense to replace the departed Alex Bregman last offseason — is currently slashing .233/.300/.391.
Mead, meanwhile, has a line of .254/.352/.500. The Nationals’ new brain trust, led by former Red Sox executive Paul Toboni, acquired him from the Chicago White Sox last offseason and watched him flourish after three years of mediocre hitting, and have now flipped him for a legitimate talent in Early.
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A top-100 prospect entering this season, Early holds a 3.24 ERA in his first 21 big-league starts but hasn’t pitched since June 30 due to that elbow inflammation. He is reportedly expected to return in August.
Like the Red Sox, the Nationals are in the thick of a wild-card race. They are currently two games back from the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL’s final playoff spot, but they are also in a bit of a rebuilding phase after handing the reins to Toboni. In that position, trading away a guy acquired for cheap after the four best months of his career in exchange for a top-100 arm feels like pretty good business.
The Nationals are now calling up Brady House from Triple-A Rochester to replace Mead, per Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. House, the Nationals’ Opening Day third baseman, struggled early in the season but is now hitting .300 at Rochester.
As for the Red Sox, Durbin said earlier Saturday he would be willing to move to second base if the team acquired a third baseman. It appears the team might be taking him up on that offer.
