Everyone has an opinion on Curtis Mead. The White Sox didn't have room for him on their Opening Day lineup. They DFA'd him and eventually worked out a trade with the Washington Nationals in exchange for minor league catcher Boston Smith. Right now, Mead is worth 1.8 WAR and a strong .858 OPS. The Aussie plays every position on the infield except for shortstop.
In the normal lineup, Mead is surrounded by eight other players who were part of the last year's Washington Nationals team. He is the new guy, and he has brought in a new type of fans from his hometown Adelaide, Australia. His teammates love him. And why not, he is helping this team to win games.
Being able to play at every infield position except for shortstop, Mead has made himself very valuable for the Washington Nationals and as such he could be a trade target as we approach the trade deadline. He has been excellent at hitting left-handed pitching and improving against right-handers as well. The Nationals now have him playing almost every game now.
In the Washington Nationals lineup, you have Mead playing with James Wood and CJ Abrams who are two of the best offensive weapons in baseball. Mead as well as Luis Garcia Jr. give the Nats four big offensive thumpers, and this is why the Nationals lead baseball in total runs scored.
Of course, we will see where all of this goes with Mead and the rest of the Nationals. His acquisition has been more than expected. To go from a DFA by the White Sox to an every day contributor is a rarity in baseball. When it happens, the team looks very smart.