Paul Toboni made a number of moves for his first trade, but the most important one was with his old club. Curtis Mead’s first-half breakthrough in Curtis Mead’s first-half surge to twenty-five-year-old Connelly Mane. Toboni is familiar with Apollonius, who recruited him in Boston. But the two are reunited in DC, and hopefully a fruitful partnership is possible.
If someone started trading Mead for Mane before the 2026 season started, any knowledgeable baseball fan would call you crazy. Mead was DFA’d by the White Sox before Opening Day, and the Nats acquired him for the unknown Boston Smith (who also had a monster year and was traded again at the deadline). Meanwhile, the early September callup began as a study and began to win or go home.
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However, this was one of the only trades that ended a week before the deadline. It wasn’t like Early had a bad time in Boston either. Some of the underlying metrics were slightly concerning, but Mane still had a 3.44 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 91.2 innings for the Red Sox. He was already establishing himself as a reliable middle rotation starter as a rookie.
The catch was, though, Early was injured at the time of the trade. He left the start against the Nationals with elbow soreness in June. However, there was no structural damage on his MRI, so the injury wasn’t going to keep him out for long. The injury scare, the glut of Red Sox combined with the first left-hander and the need on offense led them to make an early move for Mead.
Neither team really got anything out of a trade in 2026 though. He was hit by a bad pitch in his second at bat and broke his wrist, I missed him the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Mane, who was supposed to have returned some time in August, suffered a setback. While rapping again, Mane felt some discomfort in his arm. That incident caused the Nats to temporarily shut him down.
However, the setback was very mild, and the Nats cautiously stepped up again early in an effort to get him back on the mound by the end of the year. After a few starts to rehab, he was able to make an early start in the second last game of the season.
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We only saw three innings, but it was very impressive. Morning charge was to mix up six pitches and keep the Mets hitters safe. He allowed just one hit and walked none. The lefty cruised through three innings of just 34 pitches. The Snakes gave Nats fans a sneak peak of what was to come.
With Early not pitching most of his time with the Nats, the mood around the trade is somewhat negative. No one was writing in the morning, but there was plenty of murmuring about where the team was with Mead. Some of the players I see, time and time again, some of the players are real. We came to see why Paul Toboni was so high on Early.
For the season, Mane posted a 3.33 ERA in 94.2 innings with 94 strikeouts. The peripherals suggested his ERA should probably be in the low to mid 4’s, but he could get it early. Going forward, I think he can match his 3.33 ERA early, but just be more sustainable.
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Stay strong with a combination of stuff, feel and control. He throws a 4-seamer, sinker, changeup, curveball, pick-up and slider. It is very impressive to see a young pitcher show the ability to use so many different weapons. His speed is only average, but his fast shape makes him very effective on the asphalt. Early on, he can show a variety of second-second pitches off that fastball.
Right now, Mane sits at 94 on his 4-seamer, but as a skinny guy, I wonder if he can add another tick of speed with additional strength training. He said getting well is his priority. That added strength could help with his speed.
While he fixed it well in the morning, he made an injury that kept him up for months. He pitched no more than 103 innings in his career, so being able to pitch innings is a slight question. It’s a question of health, but the fact that I’ve been on the mound this year makes me very pregnant.
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Going forward, he will be the perfect number 3 starter for the Nats. A steady group of Cavalli, Mane and one other big-time arm could make the Nationals’ rotation stronger. At that point, we knew the Nats needed help with the offense. I think Connelly is part of the solution moving forward.