Nationals, Yankees Remain 'Engaged' in Trade Discussions Featuring MacKenzie Gore

The New York Yankees continue to discuss MacKenzie Gore with the Washington Nationals.

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Much to the surprise of many around the league, the Washington Nationals have continued to hold onto MacKenzie Gore this offseason.

That comes as other high-end staring pitchers have been traded to teams that were desperately searching for rotation upgrades, which has now limited the number of options the Nationals could deal their ace to this winter.

Washington isn't necessarily in a rush to ship Gore out of town, though. President of baseball operations Paul Toboni has repeatedly said they need the right deal to trade their best pitcher. So they could be more than comfortable entering the upcoming season with him heading up their staff considering he has multiple years of club control remaining.

However, there is still time to get something done if the Nationals want to go down that route. And from the sound of it, the New York Yankees are eyeing the left-hander and are in discussions to acquire him.

Nationals, Yankees Discussing MacKenzie Gore Trade

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The Yankees were one of the teams that were interested in trading for Edward Cabrera of the Miami Marlins before he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs. After whiffing on the up-and-coming right-hander, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported New York is still interested in adding a starter.

"With a blockbuster swap for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal unlikely, the Yankees have remained engaged with other available options, including talks with the Nationals about left-hander MacKenzie Gore and with the Brewers about right-hander Freddy Peralta," he wrote.

Things have been quiet on the Gore front for a while, so the fact that this bit of information dropped is notable. The Yankees have been aggressive in the trade market for starters over the years, and adding a cost-controlled asset like Washington's ace would help them become true championship contenders.

What Could Yankees Offer Nationals in Potential Deal?

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It needs to be pointed out that nothing is imminent to get finalized on this front. According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, New York was "never close" to getting something done for Cabrera, as the Cubs sent their Nos. 1- and 11-ranked prospects and another young player to get the deal completed.

The insider also reported (subscription required) that the Yankees and Marlins discussed a package featuring right-handed pitcher Ben Hess, outfielder Dillon Lewis and a third lower-level prospect that was not named. Hess and Lewis are ranked sixth and 16th in New York's pipeline. Their No. 1-ranked prospect George Lombard is reportedly "untouchable," while it's unclear if Ben Rice is available.

Yamamoto walks Aaron Judge and Ben Rice makes the Dodgers pay with a 425-foot home run 😳

The Yankees retake the lead over the Dodgers 👀 pic.twitter.com/sDNxgQSKOD

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While Hess is a talented prospect and Lewis appears to have a high upside, it's hard to envision the Nationals shipping out Gore for that type of package unless the offer is much better. Perhaps if Rice is the headliner -- since he would be Washington's long-term answer at first base -- then something could get done. But if Miami wasn't interested in what New York was offering for Cabrera, then Toboni likely won't be interested, either.

Still, this is something to keep an eye one. The Yankees have not had their prototypical offseason thus far, and at some point they will try to make a splash. But they will need to make an offer the Nationals can't refuse if they want to land Gore. Because all signs point to Washington being willing to keep their ace on the Opening Day roster if they don't get a proposal they like.