MLB Notebook: Red Sox make first move, acquire Curtis Mead, Shea Langeliers injured, trade rumors swirl around baseball

The Red Sox officially kicked off their trade deadline by acquiring infielder Curtis Mead from the Nationals in exchange for left-handed pitcher Connelly Early.

Boston entered deadline season as the hottest team in baseball and firmly in the American League Wild Card race. With the offense still in need of another impact bat, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow addressed one of the club's biggest needs by landing Mead.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Red Sox view Mead as a "right-handed bat with impact potential."

Mead has been one of the breakout hitters in the majors this season, posting an .852 OPS in 87 games with Washington. Among qualified Red Sox hitters, he would rank second only to Willson Contreras in wRC+ (134), expected weighted on-base average (.359), OPS (.852), on-base percentage (.352), slugging percentage (.500) and home runs (17).

The Red Sox also gain a controllable bat in Mead, who isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2030 season.

While Boston appears set at the corner infield spots with Contreras at first base and Caleb Durbin at third, Mead's versatility gives the club options. Second base and designated hitter have been among the lineup's least productive positions for much of the season, making them logical landing spots. Another possibility would be shifting Durbin back to second base, where he has previous experience, and installing Mead at third.

"I've played second base my whole entire life," Durbin said after Saturday's loss to Toronto. "Today, I'd probably be most comfortable playing at third base just because that's where I've taken ground balls all year, but it wouldn't take long for me to get comfortable there."

Durbin has emerged as one of the American League's better defensive third basemen, so the Red Sox may be reluctant to move him. Mead is capable of handling third base, but he owns a minus-4 Outs Above Average there this season and is generally viewed as a below-average defender with a below-average arm.

It appears, at least for now, Mead will play second base.

“I want to see Curtis play some second base,” Chad Tracy said. “Obviously, you guys know what Durbin has done at third. Durbin’s a very capable defender at other places, too, so he may get some work at other spots just to give us positional versatility in the middle of a game if something happens... But at least here in the initial stages, I’d like to see Caleb stay where he’s at, because he has been so strong there. Curtis has experience all around the infield, too.”

The trade was made possible by Boston's organizational strength on the mound. The Red Sox have developed a surplus of young major league-caliber starting pitching, allowing Breslow to deal from a position of strength while addressing one of the weakest areas of the roster.

Even during Boston's 21-4 stretch since June 25, power production has remained an issue. The Red Sox rank 29th in the majors with 98 home runs, and Contreras (22) is the only player on the roster with more than Mead's 17. Boston is also acquiring Mead while he's swinging one of the hottest bats in baseball. In 16 games this month, he's slashing .367/.465/.650 with six doubles, three home runs and nine RBI.

This is the third trade of Mead's professional career. Signed by the Phillies out of Australia in 2018, he was dealt to the Rays for current Philadelphia ace Cristopher Sánchez before making his major league debut in 2023. Tampa Bay later traded him to the White Sox, where he struggled to establish himself before Washington acquired him shortly after Opening Day. Mead has since revitalized his career, emerging as one of the National League's biggest breakout hitters.

Washington acquires five years of club control over Early, who won Boston's final rotation spot out of spring training and went 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 17 starts before landing on the injured list July 1 with left shoulder inflammation. The 24-year-old threw a bullpen session Friday and is expected to return in August.

A fifth-round pick in 2023, Early transferred from Army to Virginia before Boston helped unlock another level by adding roughly three mph to his fastball. His slider and changeup developed into legitimate major league weapons as he quickly climbed through the organization, earning a postseason start in 2025 and cementing himself as part of one of baseball's deepest young rotations.

The trade marks the second one-for-one deal between Breslow and Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, following last offseason's swap that sent Luis Perales to Washington for Jake Bennett.

From Washington's perspective, the Nationals sold high on Mead to acquire a controllable starter who projects as a mid-rotation arm. For Boston, the deal represents an early deadline investment in an offense that still needed another impact bat despite its recent surge.

Shea Langeliers Could Miss the Rest of the Year

The Red Sox's reported interest in All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers appears to be over before it ever truly began.

According to Passan, the Athletics catcher suffered a torn meniscus in his knee while running the bases and is expected to miss the remainder of the season if, as anticipated, he undergoes surgery.

Regardless of whether Langeliers opts for surgery, the injury is expected to