MLB Trade Rumors staff writer Steve Adams recently presented his top 40 trade candidates for this offseason. He penciled Nationals left-handed starting pitcher MacKenize Gore at the top of the list.
Perhaps this isn't overly surprising. For much of 2025, Gore was among the most dominant starting pitchers in the league, especially among young southpaws. Despite fading in the second half, there is clearly still a lot of interest in Gore.
Should the Nationals really be looking to trade their potential face of the franchise? Could they build around the young lefty, or should they ship him out to restart the rebuilding timeline while his value is still high?
Freddy Peralta, MacKenzie Gore, Jarren Duran and more!@jonmorosi highlights a list of potential trade candidates to keep your eye on this offseason. pic.twitter.com/qX79LbxWHT
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 5, 2025
Gore has widely been viewed as one of the top prizes on the block this offseason. It was a sentiment that was shared at this year's trade deadline as well, but the Nationals opted to hold onto him. There's a case to be made that if they weren't operating with an interim general manager (Mike DeBartolo), maybe Gore would've been sent elsewhere at that time.
Gore was named an All-Star for the first time in 2025, with an ERA south of 3.00 through his first 110 innings of the season. However, he sputtered down the stretch. That's been emblematic of his career thus far, as his second-half ERA is more than a full run higher than his first-half ERA (4.91 vs. 3.87). Do the Nationals think this can be fixed, or could it be time to get out while they can?
Gore will pitch next season at the age of 27, and his rookie contract is quickly running out, as he will become a free agent following the 2027 season. That should lead the Nationals to act with some urgency, but they have a rather high hill to climb in order to become serious playoff contenders - especially since they play in the same division as the Phillies, Mets and Braves.
Per Jon Heyman, MacKenzie Gore “should” be traded this offseason pic.twitter.com/L3Hon7C3UR
— Kev (@klwoodjr) October 23, 2025
Particularly now that Washington has hired a young manager with no major league experience, it doesn't seem like the Nationals will be contending anytime soon. With that in mind, this team doesn't have a player nearly as valuable, moving closer to free agency, as Gore. They could likely receive something similar to the return that new President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni and the Boston Red Sox sent to Chicago in exchange for Garrett Crochet.
Unless the Lerner family and the Toboni regime decide to spend far more money than the Nationals have in recent years, it may seriously be time for Washington to trade MacKenzie Gore. Do you agree? Let me know your thoughts @stephen_newman1 on X.