Chicago White Sox make trade with Washington Nationals

Ahead of Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the White Sox announced they have made a trade with the Washington Nationals. The White Sox are sending infielder Curtis Mead to the Nationals in exchange for minor-league catcher Boston Smith. Smith has not played any professional baseball in his career, but the 23-year-old catcher was a sixth-round pick by the Nats in last year’s draft. While playing for Wright State last season in the Horizon League (college baseball), he showcased an incredible hitting ability. He would have a .330/.498/.770 slash line with 26 home runs, 70 RBI, 70 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases on 23 attempts over 59 games.

Giving away Mead is a tough loss for a player with promise, but he was designated for assignment ahead of Opening Day as one of the final roster cuts for Chicago. It is going to be some time before we hear about Smith’s abilities to affect the White Sox roster, but he certainly has shown the ability to swing the bat well. He has been assigned to the ACL White Sox to begin his professional career, but can be a fun prospect to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Mead played 41 games for Chicago after being traded by the Tampa Bay Rays last season. His bat has not been able to catch up in the majors thus far as he has a career .617 OPS across 152 games. It will be intriguing to see how this trade plays out for both sides in the future.