The Nats didn't expect to trade Curtis Mead. Here's why they did it

WASHINGTON -- Paul Toboni, the Nationals’ first-year president of baseball operations, wasn’t planning to move infielder Curtis Mead as the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline neared.

Yet after getting approached in recent days and with a couple of other clubs getting aggressive, Toboni ultimately swung a deal early Sunday morning to send Mead to the Red Sox for left-handed pitcher Connelly Early.

Mead hit .254 with 17 homers and 48 RBIs in 87 games for Washington this season. Early, currently on the injured list with left elbow inflammation, is 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 17 starts. He won’t reach free agency until after the 2031 season.

“The Curtis that we’ve seen this year, I think that’s Curtis for the next five years,” Toboni said. “I really, really believe that deep down inside. And to part with that, that’s really hard. But what I think would be willing to make us do it is acquiring young starting pitching. It’s incredibly difficult to do in today’s game.”

The Nationals recalled third baseman Brady House from Triple-A Rochester to fill Mead’s spot on the active roster.

The decision to part with the 25-year-old Mead came after he revived his career upon being acquired from the White Sox on March 28. He emerged as a clubhouse leader in his four months with the Nationals while playing for first-year manager Blake Butera, who worked with Mead when both were in the Rays organization.

“We were not shopping him by any means,” Butera said. “But [he's] a good player, a good right-handed hitter and that's what Boston was seeking, so we felt like we shot high. They spent a lot of time on it and ultimately made the decision because of where they're at in the standings and what they need, and we were able to get what we need for now and also the future.”

In that sense, it wasn’t a case of a team simply thinking ahead to next year. The Nationals entered Sunday’s series finale against the Diamondbacks at 53-52, two games out of the third Wild Card spot in the National League.

Toboni said he expects Early to return next month. The 24-year-old threw a bullpen session on Friday, and he could substantially bolster a Nationals rotation that entered Sunday with a 4.50 ERA.

Beyond All-Star Foster Griffin and right-hander Cade Cavalli, the Nationals have frequently used openers ahead of veterans Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas, while Andrew Alvarez has occupied the other spot with Jake Irvin on the injured list with a right shoulder strain since May 24.

“We believe in this team, and we want to give them a shot,” Toboni said. “Connelly, I think, helps with that. Obviously, it’s a blow with Curtis leaving. But at the same time, we still have the same trust and belief with Brady coming up and others that will contribute. I think on the whole, it just made sense for us.”

House was optioned to Triple-A on May 19 after hitting .227 with seven homers and 25 RBIs. He slashed .174/.220/.330 against right-handers, while managing a .354/.426/.563 line against left-handers.

The 23-year-old, who was the Nationals’ first-round pick in 2021, hit .301 with eight homers and 34 RBIs with Rochester.

“A lot of the stuff I focused on was getting confident mentally, fielding and hitting,” House said. “A couple physical things in there, too, but mostly just gaining confidence and knowing what I can do.”

The Nationals plugged House back into the lineup Sunday, playing third and batting fifth in the series finale against Diamondbacks lefty Kohl Drake.

It’s not yet certain how regularly House will play, and Butera reaffirmed a commitment to putting players in the best position to thrive.

“If that means Brady playing more against lefties than righties because he's had a lot of success against lefties, we might do that early on to get him some confidence and get him going a bit,” Butera said. “But we also understand the position we're in right now, we're trying to win games, so we're trying to balance to do what's best for each individual player while making sure we do what's best for our team.”