Padres Reportedly Tried To Acquire Nationals All-Star Pitcher
In this story:
The Washington Nationals were an active team at the deadline but did ultimately hold on to one player who was seemingly highly sought after.
As expected, the Nationals were a busy seller ahead of the trade deadline, moving nearly all of their veterans on expiring contracts. The franchise is still going to be thinking about the future with the 2025 campaign being a failure once again.
More News: Nationals Hold Onto MacKenzie Gore Despite Constant Trade Speculation
Even though it made sense to deal their veterans, one player whom they were also listening to offers for was All-Star pitcher MacKenzie Gore. It has been a breakout season for the southpaw, and with a couple of years still under team control, teams were seeing if Washington would deal him.
According to Jon Heyman, one of those teams was the San Diego Padres.
Interestingly, the Padres also made a real run at former Padre Mackenzie Gore, part of the Nats’ alltime package for Juan Soto. Not sure anyone came close on the All-Star lefty but the Pads were the maybe the most aggressive pursuer.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 1, 2025
The Padres were one of the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline, making multiple moves for high-quality talent. Even though there was some talk about them moving some of their veteran players, they are seemingly going all-in this year.
More News: Nationals Trade Outfielder Alex Call to Dodgers in Deadline Deal
Them showing some interest is very interesting, and if they got him, they might have been more willing to deal starter Dylan Cease, who was linked to a few different clubs.
Gore was a top prospect for the Padres not too long ago, and he was part of the trade that brought Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego.
More News: Nationals Sacrifice Outfield Depth for Young Pitching in Final Trade Deadline Move
While the Nationals ultimately decided to hold on to Gore, his name is going to be one worth monitoring over the winter after drawing interest this summer.
For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.