Who is Curtis Mead? What to Know About Red Sox New Player Acquired in Trade
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The Boston Red Sox woke up on Sunday with a new member of their team.
His name is Curtis Mead, and he comes aboard in a trade from the Washington Nationals.
The deal, first reported late Saturday night by ESPN's Jeff Passan, sends the lefty pitcher Connelly Early to the Nats in exchange for Mead.
It's a big price to pay, which reflects what the Red Sox must think of Mead.
"Although arms of Early's ilk rarely get dealt so early in their careers, Boston regards Mead as an increasingly rare commodity: a right-handed bat with impact potential," Passan wrote in his article breaking the news.
Mead is a player Boston fans can get excited about, but because of the path he wandered to his breakout with the Nationals this season, he might not be particularly well known. This is some of what you should know about Mead.
MORE: Why the Red Sox were willing to trade Connelly Early
Who is Curtis Mead?
Mead is a 25-year old infielder originally from Adelaide, Australia.
He originally signed as an international free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in May 2018.
Mead didn't stay with the Phillies long. He was deal in November 2019 to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Cristopher Sanchez, who eventually grew into the lefty pitcher who started this season's All-Star Game for the National League.
The righty-hitting Mead was a well-regarded prospect who played in the Futures Game in 2022, and he got partial-season opportunities with the Rays in 2023, 2024 and 2025 before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox at last season's trade deadline for Adrian Houser.
Mead finished out the season with the White Sox, but they designated him for assignment this spring, and the Nats picked him up.
Before this season, Mead had five home runs in 152 MLB games.
This season alone, Mead has 17 homers in 87 games. He has an .852 OPS that aligns more with what his prospect pedigree would've hoped for.
"Mead's numbers are not just home run-heavy," Passan writes. "Once a top-30 prospect in baseball -- he was traded by Philadelphia to Tampa Bay for Cristopher Sánchez -- the Australia-born Mead takes excellent at-bats, works counts and understands the strike zone. While his expected numbers are slightly below his real-world numbers, Mead rarely swings and misses, barrels the ball consistently and chases less than average. Adding him to the lineup without a change to the current rotation will be to Boston's present-day benefit."
Mead will be under club control for four more seasons after this one, so if everything goes well, he'll be with the Red Sox for the long haul.