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. 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. It remains to be seen exactly who Boston plays where, but Mead and Caleb Durbin are likely to dominate the playing time between second and third base.