Boston Red Sox Bailed on Early Too Early

Mead isn't terrible, but he's not exactly proven

OK, he’s still only 25 years young. So, there's plenty of growth opportunity.

That said, Mead is actually best known for two things: Being Australian and being traded for lights-out lefty Christopher Sanchez.

Curtis Mead has been a journeyman infielder for the Rays and White Sox for the past 3 years, putting up these lackluster numbers:  

2023: 1HR, 5RBI, .253BA, .326OBP

2024: 1HR, 7RBI, .240BA, .282OBP

2025: 3HR, 19RBI, .233BA, .299OBP

That’s a .617 OPS over 152 total games. Yikes. 

But this year, he’s on the Nationals, and he’s quietly racked up these shocking stats: 

2026: 17HR, 48RBI, .254BA, .352OBP 

He’s actually got 35 extra-base hits in total, giving a robust .852 OPS in 87 games! What’s the opposite of yikes? 

Whether or not this is sustainable offensive production remains to be seen, but Washington is clearly cashing in and selling high. 

Trading Early Too Early?

Effective starting southpaws are not exactly common; the fact that Boston still had 4 of them (Crochet, Suarez, Tolle, Bennett) after trading Early is as weird as it is fortuitous. 

By all reports, Connelly Early is a legit left-handed big league starter. Certainly, he’s an SP4 or SP3, with SP2 potential.

Sox GM Breslow said after the trade, “He’s going to be a very good pitcher for the Nationals for a long time.” 

Early is 7-5 this year with almost exactly as many Ks (93) as innings, a very solid 3.44 ERA, and 1.25 WHIP. In his 4 starts last year, he had an eye-popping 29Ks in 19 innings and a 2.33ERA and a 1.08WHIP. 

In Lindy’s printed edition of Fantasy Baseball 2026, Early was ranked as the 3rd best lefty rookie and described as a “high-volume strike thrower who generates soft contact with excellent pitching acumen and a three-pitch mix.”  

Mead, on the other hand, wasn’t mentioned in Lindy’s magazine at all. 

Timing is Everything, and Trade Deadline Looms 

As for the timing of the deal, Breslow pulling the trigger now means he gets a week of Mead at-bats in a Sox uniform— no small thing as the Sox feverishly try to stack up wins and dig themselves out of the gigantic hole they dug earlier in the year.  

Early being hurt currently is a factor, too. While he’s expected back and healthy in a few weeks, he’s not contributing anything right now. 

It’s as simple as the Sox needing a bat to score more runs, and the Nats needing pitching to prevent more runs.

Only time will tell if Mead’s breakout season is real, and just how good Early can be down the line, but it feels to me like this is a short-term bet that we'll regret down the line.

Fantasy Implications of Mead for Early Trade

Early is 83% rostered in CBS and the 72nd-ranked SP. He’s on the IL. 

Mead is 86% rostered in CBS and the 38th-ranked 1B. He also plays 2B and 3B. He will play 2B for Boston, as Durbin has been flashing the leather at 3B.

Advice: Move Mead up a bit for your rest of season expectations, because his rejiggered swing and flyball spray map look tailor-made for Fenway. 

Hold Early if you have the IL spots. In dynasty leagues, he still carries considerable long-term value. 

AL-Only: You’re using FAAB on Mead for his counting stats and his positional flexibility. Because he can slot into 5 places — 1B, 3B, 2B, MI, CI — bidding competition should be stiff. It might take $15-20. 

NL-Only: If you’re allowed to bid on a player on the IR, you’ll want to put a modest bid on Early, knowing you’re only going to get 6 or 7 starts out of him this season. If you’re in a keeper or dynasty league, he’s a juicy add for 2027 if you can add him for under $12.