Red Sox ship starter Connelly Early to Nationals for Curtis Mead - The Boston Globe

What the report says

The Boston Globe reported that the Boston Red Sox traded 24-year-old lefthanded starter Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals late Saturday night in exchange for infielder Curtis Mead. The deal, first reported by ESPN and confirmed by the Globe before the teams announced it at 12:25 a.m., sends Boston a righthanded bat who has played mostly third base this season but also has experience at first and second.

Mead, 25, is from Adelaide, Australia, and has produced a strong offensive season for Washington, batting .254 with an .856 OPS, 17 home runs and 48 RBIs. The Globe noted that he has been especially effective against lefthanded pitching, with a .276 average and .897 OPS in those matchups, and that his on-base percentage has improved to .351 this year after sitting at .300 across parts of his first three seasons.

Early was a significant cost for Boston. Since debuting in the majors last season, he has gone 8-7 with a 3.24 ERA over 21 starts. This year, he was 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 17 starts before being placed on the injured list with left elbow inflammation; the Globe reported he had resumed throwing and was nearing a bullpen session.

The Globe framed the trade as addressing different roster needs: Washington has scored heavily but needs starting pitching depth, while Boston has had trouble generating offense despite ranking near the top of the American League in ERA. The move also links two familiar front offices, with Nationals baseball operations president Paul Toboni having previously worked for the Red Sox alongside Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.