The Red Sox acquired Mead from the Nationals on Saturday in exchange for Connelly Early (elbow), Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The Red Sox have been looking for a bat to help lengthen their lineup, and they've opted to ship out a young starter in Early to address that need with Mead. The 25-year-old Mead has experienced a breakout season with Washington in 2026, slashing .256/.351/.505 with 17 homers, 48 RBI, 48 runs scored, six stolen bases and a 37:62 BB:K across 322 trips to the plate. With Mead in the fold, Caleb Durbin seems likely to move to second base to open up third base.