Red Sox Linked To Nationals All-Star In Risky Potential Blockbuster

Aug 15, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (1) pitches against Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox are suddenly tied at the hip.

New Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni came to D.C. from Boston, and he's taken a handful of other talented Red Sox executives with him. But as the Nats enter a rebuild, the Red Sox are taking aim at a deep playoff run next year.

Would the Nationals therefore consider trading their top starting pitcher to Boston, given Toboni and his fellow Boston expats' familiarity with the Red Sox's prospect pipeline? One insider seems to believe so.

Will Red Sox trade for MacKenzie Gore?

Aug 21, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (1) throws to the New York Mets during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

On Thursday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic linked the Red Sox to Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore, an All-Star this summer but an inconsistent performer throughout his young career, in a potential winter trade.

"Paul Toboni has taken over as president of baseball operations for the Washington Nationals and it’s only a matter of time before he starts shopping Gore," Bowden wrote. "Toboni’s old team, the Red Sox, seem like a good place to start. He’s so familiar with Boston’s prospect cabinet that I’m sure he’d find a strong return even if he can’t land the team’s very best prospects in a trade."

Gore had a 3.02 ERA at the All-Star break, but slumped hard in the second half, bumping that number all the way to 4.17 by season's end. He also finished the year with just 5.3 innings per start, which isn't exactly befitting of the No. 2 starter label the Red Sox should theoretically be chasing.

However, Gore has to be given some grace for not only pitching on a bad team for all these years, but a team that clearly has a huge problem developing starting pitching. The Nats' two qualified starters this year, Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin, had ERAs of 5.68 and 5.70, respectively.

Still just 26 (the same age as Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello), Gore could be a building block in Red Sox rotations for many years to come. But making him the main pitching acquisition would also be a massive risk for Boston if he can't shake off the inconsistency.

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