The Washington Nationals have been busy this offseason filling out their organization in all sorts of capacities, but it is for good reason. Coming into this winter, you could argue that no franchise around baseball had more to accomplish, and in some respects, the Nationals have answered the call.
Moving forward, the organization is headed into a new direction with a very different look, as the front office and coaching staff are the youngest cumulative groups in the sport by a lot, however, the roster has not changed enough as much as we would like as Nationals fans. This team obviously is not going to be competitive as it stands right now, and we can only hope that the future will look more exciting.
Part of that is due to a lot of new prospects that have come into the organization since last season, a lot of those being 2025 MLB Draft picks headlined by Eli Willits. Some of those other prospects, like righty Luis Perales, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox earlier this offseason, have come into the organization from deals.
Seeing the talent that the team can gain for the future when they will actually be competitive has to make you excited at least somewhat, and is a big part of the reason why I am frustrated that the team has yet to move All-Star lefty ace MacKenzie Gore. Following a recent signing by Paul Toboni's old team, the Boston Red Sox, the likelihood that Gore is dealt before the season begins just took a sizable blow.
Coming into this offseason and since the 2025 trade deadline, the 3 teams that had been linked the most to Gore had been the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox, and as of now, all 3 teams have gone out and acquired at least 1 controllable starting pitcher which could have easily been Gore had the Nationals played their cards differently.
Coincidentally, all 3 of those clubs filled their gaps with arguably equal or worse pitchers, as Gore is likely better than Edward Cabrera or Ryan Weathers, who went to Chicago and New York, respectively, but is probably a slight tier below free agent addition Ranger Suarez, who signed a big deal with Boston within the past few days. All 3 of those teams had pretty solid farm systems the Nationals could have tapped into, but it seems like a deal won't be happening with them any time soon.
With the 3 major teams likely out of the MacKenzie Gore sweepstakes for the forseeable future and the Nationals not wanting to move Gore unless the price is absolutely right, it does not really seem as if he is going to be traded at this point. However, if there is one thing about the MLB offseason, it's that you never know what's going to come next.
What do you think of the Nationals running out of destinations to deal MacKenzie Gore to? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.