Red Sox swap LHP Connelly Early for 3B Curtis Mead in deal with Nationals

The Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals completed a trade late Saturday night, July 26, 2026, swapping left-handed pitcher Connelly Early for third baseman Curtis Mead. The deal was made as MLB trade deadline season got underway, with Mead heading to Boston in exchange for the young starting pitcher. The trade represents one of the early notable moves of the 2026 deadline period.