Think of all those MacKenzie Gore trade rumors around the deadline, but they’re back as we approach the offseason. Over the past 24 hours, we’ve gotten even more attention about the Nationals’ trade of their 26-year-old ace. The Nats came close to trading Gore at the deadline, but didn’t pull the trigger. However, it appears there is still a good chance Gore will be moved.
In a recent livestream, MLB insider Jon Heyman said he wouldn’t be surprised if Gore is traded this offseason and that the Nationals should do so. At first glance, it doesn’t make much sense to trade your emerging left-handed starter, but there’s more than meets the eye.
MacKenzie Gore will become a free agent after the 2027 season, meaning he will only have two more years of team control. This creates a dilemma for Paul Toboni. Does he think the Nationals can win in those two years with Gore, or would trading him for a package full of prospects be better for the team’s long-term prospects? Gore is represented by super agent Scott Boras, and his clients are usually on the open market, so an extension is unlikely.
Heyman isn’t the only person mentioning Gore as a trade candidate this offseason. Jim Bowden included him on his list of ten players who could be traded this offseason. In his piece, he said it was only a matter of time before Paul Toboni Gore goes shopping.
Bowden also mentioned the Red Sox as a possible landing spot. They need a No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet, and Gore has the potential to meet those expectations. Toboni is from Boston and is also very 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 called the Astros a good 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 had moved him at the deadline. First, you now get two playoff runs with Gore instead of three.
Gore also had a hard time in the second half. He posted a 6.75 ERA after the All-Star break, continuing the trend of Gore dropping after a hot start to the season. If this pattern continues, some teams could be spooked. However, with his strikeout material and two years of control, the Nationals should be able to land a top 100 prospect, as well as a few other solid pieces to go with it.
For the Red Sox, a package existing of Connelly Early, Luis Perales and Mikey Romero might make sense. However, Toboni will know the hidden gems of the Boston system better than I do.
It’s tough for the Astros to find an inspiring package. Their two biggest prospects are Brice Matthews and Jacob Melton, neither of whom inspire me much. However, we’ll see what happens this season.
I’m actually curious to see how the league rates Gore. At his best, he can be a dominant arm. He led the MLB in strikeouts through the first few months. However, he was never able to put everything together for an entire season. Is there any team that thinks they can make Gore the ace that the Nats failed to do?
In my opinion, there is a good chance that Gore is traded this offseason. They probably should have done it on deadline, but not having a full-time GM complicated things. The Nats simply aren’t ready to compete while Gore is under team control and has virtually no chance of extending him.
It’s an admission that the Nats’ famous rebuild went wrong, but it’s time to admit it. There’s a reason the Nats cleaned house. The plan did not work and reconstruction had stagnated. Now it’s time for the Nats to restart this rebuild before they have to trade any more young stars.
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