Nationals Lose Top MacKenzie Gore Landing Spot Following Yankees Blockbuster Trade

The Washington Nationals have seen another potential trade suitor for their ace come off the board.

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

It's looking more and more likely that MacKenzie Gore is going to remain with the Washington Nationals heading into the upcoming 2026 season.

On Tuesday, some major news broke when the New York Yankees put together a blockbuster trade for Ryan Weathers of the Miami Marlins. This was the second time the Marlins have been involved in a deal for one of their starting pitchers after shipping Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs, and it once again directly affected the Nationals.

That's because the Yankees were seen as one of the best, if not the best, landing spots for Gore. With a muted winter taking place in New York that was making fans uneasy, putting together a monster offer for the rising Washington ace was seen as something that could happen.

Instead, the Yankees pivoted to Weathers. And they shipped out a package of four players that included 14th-ranked prospect Dillon Lewis, 15th-ranked prospect Brendan Jones, 23-year-old Double-A infielder Dylan Jasso and 21-year-old High-A infielder Juan Matheus.

In exchange for Weathers, the Yankees parted with Dillon Lewis, Brendan Jones, Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus. @CraigMish was on it with the minor leaguers involved in the deal.

— JackCurryYES (@JackCurryYES) January 14, 2026

Weathers is a solid pitcher, but he doesn't have the high-end upside of Gore. New York wasn't close to landing Cabrera from multiple reports, however, they were able to use a lesser package to acquire the left-hander and bolster their rotation and potentially their bullpen for later in the year.

It should be pointed out that this type of offer would not have made the Nationals budge when it came to shipping Gore out of town, which is likely why the Yankees decided to pivot back to the Marlins to get something done.

While Miami reportedly coveted Lewis, he is not the type of headlining prospect who should be coming back to Washington in a deal for their ace. So while this news is the latest blow for the possibility of the Nationals trading Gore, it's not also the end of the world.

Options Continue to Dwindle for MacKenzie Gore Trade

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Still, if Washington had it in their minds to get a monster return package for the lefty this winter, then there is no doubt their options are dwindling.

The first clear suitor in the Boston Red Sox instead traded for Sonny Gray early in the offseason, Then, the starting pitching-needy Baltimore Orioles made a shocking offer that landed Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cubs, who have constantly been in the high-end starting pitcher rumors, finally pulled off a deal for Cabrera. And now, the Yankees landed Weathers.

There is still time for the Nationals to find a suitor before spring training gets underway. But it's been posed here at Washington Nationals On SI that the new regime might have already had internal conversations that they are willing to enter the upcoming season with Gore leading the rotation barring a Godfather offer they can't refuse.

While that is not based on any insider information, the way Washington has operated following the Winter Meetings -- when many reporters expected the left-hander to get dealt -- has suggested they are not in a rush to move their best pitcher.

And with the Yankees now off the board as a landing spot, there's no doubt the Nationals will have to thread a needle if they are going to actually trade Gore and maximize their return this offseason.