We’ve talked a lot about the potential of a MacKenzie Gore trade this offseason, but one team we haven’t considered is the Athletics. At first glance it’s easy to dismiss that idea, but the more you think about it, the more sense it makes. The A’s have a playoff-caliber lineup, but are in dire need of quality pitching.
Last season it was the A’s top 10 in most offensive categories, but finished the season 76-86 due to a poor pitching staff. Yesterday they expanded their lineup even further by trading for Jeff McNeil. While not a star, McNeil is another above-average hitter to add to an already deep lineup.
The A’s lineup is not only deep, but also full of young and manageable talent. Players like Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler form a strong young core. There are also veterans like McNeil and Brent Rooker to complement that young talent.
While the lineup is terrifying, the rotation is a different story. A projected rotation of Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Luis Morales, Jacob Lopez and Luis Medina is not October caliber. That’s where MacKenzie Gore comes into play. The A’s need a cheap arm at the top of the rotation and Gore is just that.
As baseball fans know, the A’s aren’t exactly an organization known for wasting money. Gore can be a good option for them while being financially affordable. He is alone projected to earn $4.7 million in arbitration before 2026. Gore will have one more year of team control in 2027 and it won’t be too expensive.
With that in mind, Gore is a great fit for the A’s. Heading into his age-27 season, he fits into the age bracket of this A’s core and can provide elite swing and miss skills at the top of their rotation. While Gore can be inconsistent, he can also be electric when he’s at his best. The A’s don’t have a guy like that in their rotation. Severino and Springs are solid, but don’t have much upside.
With the addition of McNeil, it is clear that the A’s want to move towards a playoff spot in 2026. That makes sense given the strength of their lineup. However, their rotation is a clear Achilles heel and it needs to be upgraded.
However, it takes two to tango, so would the Nats be interested in what the A’s have to offer? I think there are quite a few interesting parts to the A’s farm system that the Nats can explore. The only candidate clearly off limits for the Nats is Leo De Vries, who the A’s got in the Mason Miller trade.
Even with De Vries off the table, I think there is a lot in the A system that the Nats would want. Their 2nd, 3rd and 4th ranked prospects are all jarswhich should interest the Nats. At one point, Jamie Arnold was a candidate to go first overall, but the A’s managed to take him at 11th. Gage Jump is another left-handed pitcher ranked in the top 100.
Both Jump and Arnold are very unique arms with a lot of nice development potential. Arnold is a low-slot lefty whose funky mechanics and dynamic three-pitch mix can overwhelm hitters. Jumping is the opposite, with an extreme exaggerated motion that gives his fastball a ton of later life. He also has one deep mix and strong control, but is smaller at only 6 feet tall.
The A’s most interesting young pitcher, however, could be someone who recently graduated from Luis Morales. He has an electric fastball and a very good sweeper. Morality average over 97 MPH on his heater. In 48.2 innings, Morales posted at 3.14 ERA.
However, the underlying figures suggest there is still more work to be done. He posted a 4.68 FIP, a 4.54 xFIP and a 4.36 xERA. Those aren’t great, but if they were, he’d be off the table in the Gore discussions. With his raw material, Morales still has a lot of edge and at the age of 23 he has already proven that he can pitch in the big leagues.
I’m not sure he would be on the table for a Gore trade, but it’s possible. If Morales is available, the Nats should take advantage of that opportunity. He would slot into the Nats’ rotation immediately and has years of team control.
One of those arms should be the headliner, but an interesting secondary piece could be Tommy White. The man known as Tommy Tanks was a star at LSU, but defensive limitations and an aggressive approach caused him to slip to the top second round in the 2024 draft.
White now plays third base, but it is likely he will move to first base at some point. With Nick Kurtz at first and Brent Rooker at DH, White seems blocked with the A’s. However, he showed why he received a lot of attention in his first season. White hit .275 with a solid .773 OPS across two levels.
His combination of natural striking ability and brute strength is quite rare. Sure, he doesn’t walk as much as you’d like, but he hits for a high average and can hit a lot of home runs. White isn’t someone you’d want to see headlined in a Gore deal, but would be a strong second or third piece. A package of Luis Morales and White would be something Paul Toboni should consider.
If Morales is off the table, a package of Gage Jump, Braden Nett and Tommy White would be interesting. They haven’t been mentioned as a candidate for Gore, but as we’ve detailed, the A’s make a lot of sense. Gore is a cheap arm with control that the A’s will covet and they have prospect capital that the Nats would appreciate. They’re not the most likely team, but if it turns out MacKenzie Gore has been traded to the A’s, don’t be surprised.
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