Remember all of those MacKenzie Gore trade rumors at the deadline, well they are back as we approach the offseason. In the last 24 hours, we have gotten even more smoke about the Nationals trading their 26 year old ace. The Nats were close to trading Gore at the deadline, but did not pull the trigger. However, it looks like there is still a good chance Gore is moved.
In a recent live stream, MLB insider Jon Heyman said that he would not be surprised if Gore is traded this offseason and that the Nationals
should do it. On the surface, it does not make a ton of sense to trade your up and coming left handed starter, but there is more than what meets the eye.
MacKenzie Gore becomes a free agent after the 2027 season, which means that he only has two years of team control remaining. This creates a dilemma for Paul Toboni. Does he think that the Nationals can win in those two years with Gore, or would trading him for a prospect laden package be better for the long term outlook of the team. Gore is represented by super agent Scott Boras, and his clients tend to hit the open market, so an extension is unlikely.
Heyman is not the only person to mention Gore as an offseason trade candidate. Jim Bowden put him on his list of 10 players who could be traded this offseason. In his piece, he said it was only a matter of time before Paul Toboni starts shopping Gore.
Bowden also mentioned the Red Sox as a possible landing spot. They need a number 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet, and Gore has the potential to fit the bill. Coming from Boston, Toboni is also deeply familiar with the Red Sox farm system. He knows which guys are worth targeting, even if they aren’t necessarily the highest rated. Heyman also mentioned the Astros as a fit, but their farm system is quite weak.
With that in mind, what would a Gore package look like? Well, it probably won’t be as strong as it would have been if the Nats moved him at the deadline. For one, you are now getting two playoff runs with Gore instead of three.
Also, Gore struggled tremendously in the second half. He posted a 6.75 ERA after the All-Star break, which continued a trend of Gore falling off after a hot start to the season. Seeing this pattern continue could spook some teams. However, with his strikeout stuff and two years of control, the Nationals should be able to get a top 100 prospect as well as a couple other solid pieces to go along with that.
For the Red Sox, a package consisting of Connelly Early, Luis Perales and Mikey Romero could make some sense. However, Toboni will know the hidden gems of the Boston system better than me.
For the Astros, it is tough to find an inspiring package. Their top two prospects are Brice Matthews and Jacob Melton, neither of whom inspire me much. However, we will see what plays out this offseason.
I am actually curious to see how the league values Gore. At his best, he can be a dominant arm. He led the MLB in strikeouts for the first couple of months. However, he has never been able to put it all together for a full season. Is there a team out there that thinks they can make Gore the ace the Nats have been unable to?
There is a pretty good chance Gore gets traded this offseason in my opinion. They probably should have done it at the deadline, but not having a full time GM complicated things. The Nats just aren’t ready to compete while Gore is under team control and have virtually no chance of extending him.
It is an admission that the famed Nats rebuild has gone wrong, but it is time to admit that. There is a reason the Nats have cleaned house. The plan was not working and the rebuild had stagnated. Now it is time for the Nats to reboot this rebuild before they have to trade even more young stars.
