One of the biggest discussions this offseason will be whether the Washington Nationals trade MacKenzie Gore. After not being dealt despite his name being in the rumor mill, MacKenzie Gore’s name is at the center of trade discussions again. MLB Trade Rumors put Gore at number 1 on their list of 40 potential trade candidates.
Here we will discuss why Gore’s
name is in the rumor mill and why a trade this offseason feels likely. Despite seeming like a young player, the service clock is ticking for MacKenzie Gore. He only has two years of team control remaining before becoming a free agent. With the Nationals retooling their rebuild and the 2027 season being in doubt due to a potential work stoppage, there is doubt around Gore’s future.
Will the Nats be competitive in 2026 or 2027, or will potential young pieces from a Gore trade be more useful for the team long term? In your heart of hearts, do you think this team will be competing for anything more than a third wild card spot while Gore is under team control because I do not. This conversation is why Gore’s name is in the rumor mill.
When Paul Toboni talked to the media, he put a heavy emphasis on creating a scouting and player development monster. His tone sounded very long term focused, rather than a guy who wanted to win games as quickly as possible. Trading Gore could be a good long term move.
An extension for Gore is unlikely given his agent. If you do not know, MacKenzie Gore is a Scott Boras client. It is very rare for a Boras client to sign an extension before testing free agency. Stephen Strasburg actually overruled Boras to sign a contract in DC when he got his first extension. However, that is rare and the Nats actually had a winning culture back then. There is no reason for Gore to go to Boras and say I want to be in DC. With how the last few years have gone, why should he.
One thing that could complicate things is how much pitching is on the market this offseason. True aces like Tarik Skubal, Freddie Peralta, Hunter Greene and Joe Ryan could be on the market. Gore has not shown the consistency of those guys across a full season, so he would be a third or fourth choice for many teams.
Gore has a tendency to fall off in the second half of seasons. This year, he posted a 3.02 ERA in the first half, which led him to an All-Star berth. However, after a brutal second half, his ERA ballooned to 4.17 for the season. If teams are not confident that Gore can solve these long standing second half issues, they won’t trade a haul for him.
With this in mind, Toboni could hold on to Gore until the trade deadline, or trade him in June. Gore’s value often peaks early in the season, so there could be a chance to sell high. However, if you do that, you run the risk of Gore getting hurt and not getting any value for him.
If you can get a top 100 prospect as well as a couple solid secondary prospects, you have to pull the trigger. Gore was supposed to be the true ace for this team moving forward, but he has not become that and time is ticking before he becomes a free agent. It is no surprise that he is number 1 on this list.
If I were a betting man, I would say that MacKenzie Gore has probably thrown his last pitch as a National. The highs were very high, but we never quite got the consistency we wanted out of Gore. Another team could get that out of him, but the Nats can’t afford to let him march closer and closer to free agency.
For teams that could get him, the Red Sox are a team to watch. They have a deep farm system that Paul Toboni knows very well. He not only knows who the top guys are, but he also knows where the hidden gems lie. The Cubs were a team attached with Gore at the deadline, and could come back in for him.
Sure, it may be demoralizing, but it is time to accept that the Nationals need to reboot their rebuild. Hopefully Gore is the only core piece they have to move. It would be a shame if this team can’t get their act together by the end of the decade. I miss the Nats being a competitive team. While trading Gore appears to be a step away from that, I think it is one of those steps back that is actually two steps forward in the long term if the return is good.
