Trade Idea Has Nationals Getting Two Star Prospects Back From Mets for MacKenzie Gore

Would this be a good return for the Washington Nationals?

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At this point in time, not much is clear about the gameplan of the Washington Nationals this winter.

New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has been focused on building the first parts of his front office, hiring three guys to his staff and retaining interim general manager Mike DeBartolo in an undisclosed role.

Now, it appears like the open manager role is the top priority, as they reportedly interviewed at least three candidates for the job before one of their targets was scooped up by the Baltimore Orioles. Getting the team's skipper figured out should be the next thing that gets checked off their to-do list so they can turn their focus to the roster.

One of the big decisions that seemingly will be made is about their ace MacKenzie Gore. There's been speculation that he could be dealt this offseason, with former MLB GM Jim Bowden stating the lefty will at least be shopped around.

Nationals Send MacKenzie Gore to Mets in Trade Idea

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Well, in a piece put together by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, he has the Nationals actually sending out their ace to their division rival in the New York Mets. They would get back a package of right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong and first baseman/outfielder Ryan Clifford, who are ranked fourth and eighth in the Mets' pipeline, respectively.

"On the Nationals side of things, can they legitimately envision Gore pitching in a postseason game for them in either 2026 or 2027 before he hits free agency? Maybe they can, but most of us can't. And a similar state of the franchise three years ago is what led to that colossal Juan Soto trade," he wrote as motivation for why Washington would make this deal.

That likely is going to be something Toboni weighs in his mind when he takes a look at things regarding Gore this offseason. And if he comes to that same conclusion, then there's a chance a blockbuster deal could be made. However, it would be shocking to see them actually send Gore to New York, even for that type of return.

Would This Deal Be Worth it for Nationals?

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When looking at this hypothetic deal, would it be even worth it for the Nationals to make this trade? Well, on paper, it solves some of their issues since they'd replace Gore with Tong, who is under team control for more years and could have a higher ceiling, while also solving their first base hole.

Tong would be the headliner, and rightfully so. But Clifford could solve a major issue for them at the cold corner. The 22-year-old reached Triple-A for the first time this past season, and while his numbers show a low batting average, he has major pop with 29 longballs hit this year. That comes after he hit 24 in 2023 and 19 in 2024.

Strikeouts have been a problem for the slugger coming up the ranks, which is a bit of a worry. But he also walks at a high clip and has a career on-base percentage of .370.

Tong is not only ranked fourth in the Mets' farm system, but he's 46th on the top 100 overall list. He has been filthy coming up the ranks with a 2.54 ERA across 57 appearances (53 starts), while also ringing up 377 batters in 247 2/3 innings pitched in the minors. The 22-year-old reached the majors this past season, and while he struggled in his first taste of big league action, he is still expected to be one of the brightest young pitchers in the game going forward.

All in all, this would be a solid return for Washington if they were to make this trade. However, sending him to New York would be a tough pill to swallow, and it's unlikely to happen.