MacKenzie Gore Wisely Seen as Player Nationals Could Trade Before Next Season

As the Washington Nationals continue to limp through the second half of the season, the team will be thinking about what the offseason plan is going to look like.

At the trade deadline, the Nationals made the wise decision to be sellers and move some of their desirable assets. The team nearly gutted the roster of all of their veterans on expiring deals and has restocked the farm system.

Due to some of that talent not being the best, Washington didn’t bring back premier prospects, but they received some good players.

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Even though the franchise might have been optimistic and thought that things would be better in 2025, that has not been the case. The Nationals are likely going to be finishing in last place in the National League East, and this rebuild is going to be continuing for years to come.

At the trade deadline, it wasn’t surprising to see Washington as a seller, but it was interesting to see one of the names that the team was willing to listen on.

Despite still being under team control, the Nationals were listening to offers on their star southpaw MacKenzie Gore. Now, it will be interesting to see what happens over the winter.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about Gore being a player who is likely to be dealt this offseason.

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“In theory, Gore is exactly the type of player the Nationals should be holding onto as they try to take the next step from rebuilding to climbing back into contention. However, he is just two years away from free agency, which might not line up with their return to relevance.”

Since the Nationals were willing to listen to offers for Gore this summer, those rumors will likely only intensify over the winter. The southpaw has had a breakout campaign for Washington in 2025 and would have been a great addition for any team that potentially would have traded for him.

Should the Nationals Trade Gore?

Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore — Jul 30, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (1) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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So far this season, he has totaled a 4.29 ERA, with both July and his one start in August being poor. However, he has proven to be a capable front-end of the rotation pitcher.

With him starting to run out of controllable years and Washington seemingly not being close to being a contender, potentially trading him does make sense over the winter. By the time that the Nationals turn things around, Gore might either be coming up on a contract year or perhaps gone already.

While it might seem like a bold decision to trade a young controllable starter, it could very well be what’s best for Washington in the long haul based on the current state of their franchise.

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