Nationals Lose Two Major Trade Partners in Potential MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams Deals
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The Hot Stove season keeps on cooking across Major League Baseball. But unfortunately for the Washington Nationals on Friday, that meant a potentially fatal flaw when it came to getting a monster return for some of their best players this winter.
With rumors swirling around the possible trades of MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams, the Nationals might have seen two of their best suitors pivot elsewhere by pulling off different blockbusters of their own.
The first was a massive deal put together by the Baltimore Orioles. While the notion of shipping Gore up the Beltway was previously looked upon as an ideal fit on paper, when the Orioles signed Pete Alonso to a monster deal in free agency, it seemed like something might get worked out.
But instead, Baltimore turned around and pulled off a head-turning trade with their division rival Tampa Bay Rays that involved shipping out multiple star prospects.
Orioles Acquire Shane Baz From Rays for Monster Return Package
Whether the Orioles no longer wanted to negotiate with the Nationals regarding Gore or they had more interest in Shane Baz, they pulled off a stunner based on all the prospect capital they gave up for three years of club control for the righty.
As reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN, Baltimore shipped out outfielder Slater de Brun, catcher Caden Bodine, right-hander Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn and a Competitive Balance Round A pick to get Baz from the Rays.
Trade news: The Baltimore Orioles are acquiring right-hander Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Slater de Brun, catcher Caden Bodine, right-hander Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn as well as a Competitive Balance Round A pick, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 19, 2025
According to MLB Pipeline, de Brun was ranked sixth in the Orioles' pipeline, while Bodine was 10th, Forret was 11th and Overn was 30th.
Something similar to that package had been floated when it came to what Washington might get back from Baltimore for Gore, so the fact this deal has been completed likely means the Orioles are off the table when it comes to a landing spot for the star left-hander.
How This Trade Impacts Nationals
Clearly, this takes a major suitor off the board for the Nationals when it comes to dealing Gore. While that might be a short-term setback, there is also a positive that comes with the fact that another blockbuster deal was completed this offseason.
For one, the market continues to be hot when it comes to controllable starting arms. So Washington should still get back a haul whenever they do eventually trade Gore. And once teams miss out on their top free agency targets, they should have to come calling for someone like the left-hander eventually.
However, while the confidence should remain high that something substantial can get completed for Gore this winter if the Nationals continue to go down that route, there was another notable trade that could take Abrams off the table for an ideal suitor.
Pirates Acquire Brandon Lowe From Rays in Three-Team Deal
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required), Tampa Bay wasn't done shuffling things around when it came to their roster on Friday. The insider reported they were involved in a three-team trade that sent slugging second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery to the Pittsburgh Pirates, starting right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros and outfield prospect Jacob Melton and right-handed pitching prospect Anderson Brito to the Rays.
What should stand out to Nationals fans is the Pirates' involvement in this entire thing. They have had an interesting offseason from the start, with them seemingly wanting to spend money to become competitive. That created a formidable offer for star slugger Kyle Schwarber before he turned them down, which then seemingly put them right at the forefront of a potential Abrams deal to upgrade their lineup.
Well, that interest apparently wasn't just lip service. They shipped out Burrows in this deal to get back Lowe and more, which means they no longer have a need for Abrams.
Pirates are trading for Brandon Lowe as apart of a three-team trade with the Astros and Rays pic.twitter.com/cIqbAuLRi9
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 19, 2025
It seemed like Washington's interest in actually trading their star shortstop this winter was starting to cool. And now that a clear suitor in Pittsburgh is off the board following this blockbuster, the likelihood of Abrams being the starting shortstop for the Nationals on Opening Day in 2026 has increased.
As always, things change constantly during the Hot Stove season, evident by what took place on Friday that directly impacted Washington. So, as it stands right now, the Nationals seem like they are still in a good spot when it comes to trading Gore, but could opt to hold onto Abrams.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai