Yankees Again Named Best Trade Fit for Nationals Ace MacKenzie Gore

The Washington Nationals ace was connected to the American League giants once again.

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It's been a bit quiet when it comes to the rumor mill for the Washington Nationals.

After it seemed like president of baseball operations Paul Toboni was ready to wheel and deal his way into the new era during the early part of the offseason, he has kept his best trade chip close to the vest to see how the rest of free agency pans out.

Back in December, insiders reported it was only a matter of days before MacKenzie Gore was shipped out of town. But Toboni held onto him through the Winter Meetings, and now, continues to have the lefty on the roster into the New Year.

Yankees Named Best Trade Fit for MacKenzie Gore

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All signs are pointing to the Nationals trading their ace at some point before the start of the 2026 season. The market is only going to get better for Washington once more high-end free agent options come off the board and teams in need of a starting pitcher are left empty handed.

So far, one of those teams has been the New York Yankees. And that's why it's not surprising to see Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report list them as the best trade fit for Gore.

"Trading for Gore would give the Yankees a pitcher that's made at least 30 starts in consecutive seasons. He did struggle after the All-Star Break, but the pitcher who posted a 3.02 ERA over 19 first-half starts looked like a top-of-the-rotation arm. Gore could benefit from going to a contending organization that might help to unlock his ace potential on a more consistent basis," he wrote.

MacKenzie Gore is the 1st pitcher to 100 Ks this season!

(MLB x @loanDepot) pic.twitter.com/ML8oQQ5Gia

— MLB (@MLB) May 30, 2025

Kelly describes why a Gore trade would benefit the Yankees, but he makes no mention as to why the Nationals would accept a potential offer from the American League giants compared to everyone else. However, there are plenty of high-end piece New York has in their farm system that could be of interest for Washington.

It will be interesting to see what ultimately happens with Gore. Initial reports indicated there were multiple teams that were eyeing him as a trade option for themselves. It's unclear at this stage of the winter if that's still the case.

At some point this offseason, the expectation is the Nationals will find a suitor for their ace and get back a monster haul to add more pieces for this rebuild. When that's going to be is anyone's guess, though.