Red Sox Trade Early for Offense Boost | Washington Nationals News

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It's July 26th, this is Washington Nationals News Today.
Your AI-powered team coverage. The Red Sox just made their first major move this summer, sending pitcher Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals. In return, Boston gets infielder Curtis Mead. Early, a lefty, has been dealing with some elbow inflammation since early July, but is reportedly close to being back on the mound. He's only 24 and even started a playoff game last season. Mead, on the other hand, is 25 and can play multiple infield spots, mostly third base but also second and first. He's hitting pretty well this year, with a batting average over 250 and a solid OPS, racking up 17 doubles and 17 homers. He's an Australian native who's bounced around a few organizations before landing with the Nationals. This trade seems like a move to boost the offense, which has struggled at times, especially after a recent game where they only managed one hit. The Red Sox have had a revolving door at 2nd base this season, with injuries and inconsistent performance. Mead could potentially fill that gap. The Red Sox are giving up a promising arm in Early, but they've got a deep pitching staff with other young lefties and an ace coming back from injury.
Both players are under team control for a good while, with Early not hitting free agency until 2032 and Mead not until 2031
It's definitely a calculated risk. Early has shown flashes of brilliance since his debut last September, with a good ERA and a solid record. But the team clearly felt they needed to address their offensive struggles, and Mead seems to be the guy they believe can do it.