The Chicago Cubs were one of the clubs circling Connelly Early before the Red Sox sent the rookie starter to Washington in the Curtis Mead deal, according to sources who spoke to Pat Ragazzo of FanSided.
Boston ultimately moved Early to the Nationals, but that wasn’t the only path under consideration. The Cubs, who were in clear need of starting pitching, had interest in making a deal for him before they pivoted elsewhere. They wound up landing Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman instead, a move that looks better for Chicago, at least in the short term.
Early’s health likely played a role in how the market shook out. He left Boston on the injured list with elbow inflammation and is still there with less than a month left in the season. He has yet to make his debut for Washington, though Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reported that the Nationals are targeting September 8 for the start of his rehab assignment.
It makes sense that both Chicago and Washington were in the mix. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has ties to both organizations, having worked in several front office roles under Theo Epstein in Chicago. Former Red Sox assistant general manager Paul Toboni also now leads baseball operations in Washington after taking the president of baseball operations job before the 2026 season, and it was later reported that Breslow had wanted to elevate him to general manager in Boston.
In the end, the Nationals offered Boston a return that fit. Mead is a right-handed infielder with control through after the 2030 season and some pull-side power, a profile that should play well at Fenway Park.
Chicago may not have had a comparable piece available, especially if it wanted to keep Matt Shaw. Shaw brings utility value, but not the same power that Mead does, and Boston is still looking for as much slug as it can find.
Early’s numbers with the Red Sox were solid before the injury - a 3.44 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 91.2 innings. Even so, the Cubs were right to chase healthier pitching options given his elbow issue. There’s still a chance neither Early nor Mead appears again this season, but both players come with years of team control, which gives this trade the chance to matter well beyond 2025.
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