​Jul 7, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe (14) stops as he rounds first base on a single against the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Connelly Early for Curtis Mead trade between the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals is still pretty wild. Mead now has a left wrist fracture, which probably takes him out of the lineup for at least a month and completely ruins the best argument for this trade for Boston, a better short term push to make the playoffs. The Washington Nationals are looking like a real problem organizationally. Their farm system now ranks fourth on Baseball America’s recent farm system rankings and there is a massive trend under the Paul Toboni front office for making players better. If we look at their major league team, several players have taken significant steps. The aforementioned Curtis Mead had bounced around the Rays and White Sox without getting significant major league playing time. With the Nationals in 2026, Mead produced a 133 OPS+ and was traded for Connelly Early, who carries a mid-rotation projection with over five seasons of club control.James Wood turning into one of the best hitters in the sport isn’t an impressive win given his prospect status but it has happened. CJ Abrams on the other-hand has broken out from being a solid hitter to a potential star with a 153 OPS+. The real wins, however, look to be from everyone else. Luis Garcia jr is having the best season of his career. They made Keibert Ruiz useful again. On the pitching side, Foster Griffin signed a one-year deal from the NPB and became an all-star. Cade Cavalli took a step forward. That’s a lot of good things happening under a regime that was hired less than a year ago. The Washington Nationals are looking like a real problem.Clay HolmesIt’s potentially a really bad fit given the Phillies infield defense but Clay Holmes feels like a really good target for what the Phillies are looking for in a back-end starter that could be useful in October. Since joining the New York Mets, Holmes has carried a 3.26 ERA in the 218.1 innings he’s pitched for them, mostly as a starter. He is a different pitcher from his days as a high leverage arm for the Yankees, adding a kick-change that has worked very well to left handed hitters. He traded in his slider for a curveball and more cutters to right handed hitters. He is a classic sinker-ball starter that relies on his defense to make plays behind him as a starter. He limits barrels but has not generated the same swing-and-miss. It is a weird bet but he is a big upgrade over the Brian Keller bullpen games the Phillies are currently running. The big bet here will come in October if the Phillies make it there. We know what Holmes is like as a reliever; he threw two ticks harder than he does now, which led to less damage and more strikeouts. He did that without the plus ch