July 28, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Minor Notes: Arias headlines promotions; Early traded to Washington
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Early traded to Nationals
In somewhat of a stunner, the Red Sox traded rookie left-hander Connelly Early to the Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead on Sunday. It marked the second time these two clubs have consummated a one-for-one swap since last December, when Boston acquired lefty Jake Bennett from Washington for hard-throwing righty Luis Perales.
Early entered 2026 as Boston's No. 3 prospect after making his major league debut last September. In 17 starts for the Red Sox this season, the 24-year-old southpaw posted a 3.44 ERA with 93 strikeouts to 34 walks over 91 2/3 innings in which opponents batted .235 against him. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation in early July.
Mead, meanwhile, was in his first season with the Nationals after being acquired from the White Sox in late March. In 87 games for Washington, the right-handed hitting 25-year-old batted .254/.352/.500 with 17 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs, 48 RBI, 49 runs scored, six stolen bases, 39 walks, and 62 strikeouts over 327 plate appearances.
A native of Australia, Mead was added to the Red Sox' active roster following Sunday's series finale against the Blue Jays. In a corresponding move, fellow infielder Tsung-Che Cheng was optioned to Worcester.
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Arias, others arrive in Worcester
In another somewhat surprising move, No. 1 prospect Franklin Arias was promoted from Portland to Worcester on Friday. The 20-year-old infielder slashed .318/.407/.587 with 17 doubles, one triple, a career-high 19 home runs, 52 RBI, 50 runs scored, five stolen bases, 37 walks, and 46 strikeouts in 75 games (332 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs this season. He made his Triple-A debut and appeared in two games for the WooSox over the weekend, going 0 for 8 with an RBI.
Arias was not alone in debuting at the Triple-A level last week. Blake Wehunt, the organization's No. 17 prospect, made his first start for Worcester in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader against Jacksonville. The 25-year-old righty allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings. He threw 72 pitches (40 strikes) and generated eight whiffs.
Following Sunday's action, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reported that John Holobetz, the organization's No. 13 prospect, was being promoted from Portland to Worcester. The soon-to-be 24-year-old righty is moving up to Triple-A for the first time after posting a 4.33 ERA with 93 strikeouts to 25 walks across 17 outings (15 starts) and 79 innings for the Sea Dogs this season.
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Other promotions and transactions
Jacob Mayers, Boston's 2025 ninth-round pick out of LSU, was promoted from Salem to Greenville on Friday. Ranked as the organization's No. 44 prospect, the 22-year-old right-hander pitched to a 4.27 ERA with 64 strikeouts to 42 walks across 15 appearances (eight starts) and 46 1/3 innings for the RidgeYaks to begin his first full professional season. Fellow righty Williams Montero, ranked as the organization's No. 50 prospect, was also promoted from the Florida Complex League to Salem.
Following the activations of Justin Gonzales (suspension) and Nazzan Zanetello (7-day injured list) on Sunday, Natanael Yuten was released from Greenville's roster. The 21-year-old outfielder played sparingly for the Drive this season, slashing just .165/.196/.311 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 30 games (107 plate appearances). He had been in the organization since signing for $400,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January 2022. After earning 2023 Florida Complex League All-Star honors in his stateside debut, however, he struggled to adjust to the rigors of full-season ball.
In addition to Yuten, righties Danny Kirwin, Yoelvin Chirino, Carter Rasmussen, and Denison Sanchez have all been released within the last week. Kirwin, who was on Greenville's 7-day injured list, was an Arizona Fall League All-Star in 2024.
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Draft signing deadline passes
The deadline for clubs to sign 2026 draft picks passed at 5 p.m. ET on Monday. The Red Sox appear to have signed all but two of their 19 selections: 15th-rounder Chase Frey and 18th-rounder Ethan Offing. Frey, a left-hander out of Grand Canyon University, is headed to the University of Oregon as a transfer. Offing, a high school outfielder from South Carolina who ranked No. 377 on Baseball America's draft board, will honor his commitment to Clemson University.
For detailed information on the full draft class, including signing bonus information, check out the SoxProspects.com Draft History page.
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Latest podcast episode
On Episode No. 425 of the SoxProspects Podcast, Chris and Ian react to the Red Sox dealing Connelly Early to the Nationals for Curtis Mead ahead of the trade deadline. They also break down Franklin Arias' and Blake Wehunt's Triple-A debuts, as well as Justin Gonzales' eventful week in Greenville. Be sure to check it out wherever you get your podcasts.
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Players of the Week
Kristian Campbell, OF, Worcester Red Sox
5 G, 13 AB, 8 H, 6 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, .615/.722/1.231
John Holobetz, RHP, Portland Sea Dogs
1 GS, 1-0, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K, .167 OBA
Though his teammate Max Carlson was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week, Holobetz is taking home this honor after striking out 10 over five scoreless innings against Binghamton last Thursday. In perhaps his final start for Portland, the Old Dominion product retired 15 of the 18 batters he faced on 80 pitches (55 strikes). He generated 16 whiffs and was up to 98.1 mph with his fastball.
Photo Credit: Franklin Arias, John Holobetz by Kelly O'Connor