The Washington Nationals are headed for what is sure to be a very interesting offseason. The new man at the helm of the organization, Paul Toboni, might have more on his plate currently than any person in baseball, and we are seeing what some of his work already looks like.
He has begun to fill out his front office with some of his former colleagues from the Red Sox such as Devin Pearson and Andrew Wright, and he will have a massive decision to make once he decides on who will be the manager of the team. There have been next to zero whispers about potential candidates so far, as it seems as if the organization is keeping things close to the vest for the time being.
However, one rumor there have been many whispers and even louder discussions about in the national media landscape is the status of players on the Nationals' current roster. With a new leader in the organization, Toboni doesn't really have any added loyalty to any players within the organization, as those aren't guys that he traded for, drafted, or signed.
One of those potential names that has come up a ton, and most recently by former Nationals GM Jim Bowden, is MacKenzie Gore, who the team keenly listened to offers for during the offseason. According to Bowden's piece for The Athletic, he has Gore listed as the 5th most likely player to be dealt this offseason, and he gives some good reasons why.
He mentioned the fact that Gore has 2 years of control remaining, which is a huge selling point for a contending team that would likely make a bid for his services, and also mentioned that the Nationals and Toboni should be able to land a strong return even if a team like the Red Sox were to leave out some of their top prospects in a potential trade.
The Red Sox make a ton of sense as a landing spot for Gore, as Toboni's familiarity with their top brass, and especially the team's farm system, should make Boston an attractive trade partner for the rebuilding Nationals, who need to continue to stockpile their farm with top tier talent, regardless of position. Outside of Boston, Bowden suspects the San Diego Padres, Gore's original team, might also be in on the young lefty, although it might be a little bit unclear as to what sort of assets they can give up in comparison to other potential suitors.
I fully expect the Nationals to at least heavily listen to offers on Gore this offseason, and assuming Toboni gets the right offer, they should not hesitate to pull the trigger. If it were up to me, I would have dealt him at the trade deadline to a team like the Chicago Cubs, as watching him tank his value every time he took the mound in the second half was absolutely brutal to see. Given that he's a Scott Boras client, he seems unlikely to stick around long-term in DC, but perhaps a new front office and coaching staff can help him fully take that next step into becoming one of the game's best pitchers.
Do you want MacKenzie Gore to be traded? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.