The 2025 MLB Trade Deadline is now just one week away, and with the Washington Nationals currently trying to avoid being one of the complete worst teams in the league, it appears as if they will yet again be sellers. While this has become a common approach for the club at the deadline over the last few years, it wasn't always this way.
Back in the 2010s, you could always count on the Nationals to make at least 1 or 2 moves at the deadline each year, which led to the additions of guys like Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, Asdrubal Cabrera, and others who ended up being valuable contributors over the years. Perhaps you might remember the Nationals trading some guy named Juan Soto, and the unheard of amount of talent they received in return.
One of the pieces of that return, lefty ace and first time All-Star MacKenzie Gore has been put in trade rumors by various talking heads around the league recently, and for good reason. With the Nationals unlikely to content for at least another year or two, trading their ace before he inevitably hits free agency in the 2027 offseason might not be the worst idea to some fans, while appearing totally ridiculous to others.
The bottom line is, Nationals fans who are worried about the future of Gore in DC long-term should be able to breathe a sigh of relief, as both Nationals Interim GM Mike DeBartolo and MLB Insider Jon Heyman poured cold water on the hot stove as it related to Gore.
While Heyman noted that several teams have called the Nats about Gore, Interim GM Mike DeBartolo said that while he prefers to keep the core group he’ll 'always listen,' which is more so just doing his job as a GM. Heyman also noted it is probably a long shot with 2 more years before free agency but Gore is so good that it is worth teams trying to see if they can make DeBartolo an offer he can't refuse.
If you recall, Mike Rizzo once said he was not going to be dealing Juan Soto, and before you know it he had an offer on the table that he could not refuse, and he might be close to a similar situation here. Of course, Soto had turned down $440 million from the Nationals with no deferrals in the deal, and we do not know if Gore and the club have had any sort of discussions on a long-term deal.
Given that Gore is a Scott Boras client, the likelihood he agrees to something before hitting the open market as a free agent seems extremely unlikely, and trading him now would give teams trading for him multiple playoff runs. However, things can change quickly, and I am still of the belief that the organization will not let an interim GM in DeBartolo part ways with their young ace unless getting an offer that can't be refused, which is always on the table in baseball.
Do you want MacKenzie Gore to be traded? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.