Red Sox's Curtis Mead trade is an opportunity Mariners should've spotted first

If ever there was a day to wake up and think "Dang, Curtis Mead would have been perfect for the Seattle Mariners," today is that day. It unfortunately means they missed the boat on Mead, who became the first major domino of the summer trading season to fall on Saturday night.

The 25-year-old's breakout season will now shift theaters from Washington D.C. to Boston, following a one-for-one trade between the Nationals and Red Sox. As ESPN's Jeff Passan reported, it's Mead for left-hander Connelly Early straight up:

This is a really fun trade. It's two former colleagues (Craig Breslow in Boston and Paul Toboni in D.C.) solving major needs with a trade that feels like a heat check. Is Early the up-and-coming ace the Nationals need? Is Mead the right-handed slugger the Red Sox need? We'll find out!

As far as the Mariners are concerned, though, what we have here is a missed opportunity.

An Emerson Hancock-for-Curtis Mead trade might have worked for Mariners and Nationals

As of a few days ago, we know that the Mariners are willing to move Emerson Hancock for a right-handed hitter. Mead didn't cross our minds as a potential fit in a swap involving the righty, but a one-for-one trade would have almost been too perfect.

Hancock and Mead are two former top prospects who looked like lost causes up until this year. And now, they look like two rising stars who are A) in their 20s and B) under club control through 2030. If one wasn't a pitcher and one wasn't a hitter, they'd basically be the same player.

Mead was designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox in March, so there's still a question over how much his 2026 breakout should be believed. There's a lot to like, though. Look under the hood, and you see better swing decisions leading to both more contact and better contact, thus far resulting in a 134 wRC+ and 17 home runs.

For the sake of comparison, Randy Arozarena leads Mariners regulars with a 139 OPS+. He's also one of few Seattle hitters fighting the good fight against left-handers. And that's where Mead really could have helped, as his 146 wRC+ against lefties is in the top 25 among all hitters.

It's back to the drawing board as the Mariners seek a right-handed hitter

Granted, it may come out at some point that the Mariners were in on Mead and simply lost the bidding. It's the scenario that unfolded with Jhoan Duran last year, which was a case of the Minnesota Twins simply liking the Philadelphia Phillies' offer more.

Either way, Jerry Dipoto now has one less option as he seeks the right-handed bat the offense badly needs. And the situation is only getting more dire. Since an eight-game winning streak ended on June 2, the Mariners rank dead-last in the majors in runs, home runs, batting average and slugging percentage. One hitting coach has lost his job, but the first two games of this weekend's series against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers have only reinforced that this is a much bigger problem.

So whether it's Casey Schmitt or Spencer Steer or Matt Shaw, the Mariners still need to go get someone. It should be either that or give up and sell at the August 3 deadline. As painful as the latter would be, at least it would acknowledge reality in a way that standing pat simply wouldn't.

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