Tigers Should Pursue Nationals All-Star This Winter to Bolster Rotation

Should the Detroit Tigers make a big splash and trade for a talented All-Star pitcher?

Apr 17, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Nationals hats and gloves in the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers were eliminated from the postseason in heart-breaking fashion and are now thinking about ways to improve the team during the offseason. Even though it was a strong year overall, a collapse late certainly should be a concern for the team going forward. 

As the Tigers head into the winter, this is a franchise that has now been eliminated in the American League Division Series for two straight years in Game 5. A long 15-inning affair against the Seattle Mariners was a brutal way to be eliminated, but the team must now find ways to improve.

This offseason, there are going to be a couple of areas that the team should be looking to upgrade, similarly to last winter. However, they have an elephant in the room this offseason regarding the contract status of their ace Tarik Skubal. With the reigning AL Cy Young seemingly dead set on testing free agency, the franchise has to be thinking about 2026 as a year to go all-in. 

One area that they should certainly think about upgrading is their starting rotation. One potential player who could be on the trade block is MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals, who is coming off an All-Star campaign. 

Why Should Tigers Pursue a Front-End Starter?

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Due to the uncertainty and possibility that Skubal will be playing his final year with the Tigers, it makes a lot of sense for the franchise to pursue a front-end caliber starter for multiple reasons. The first is to help give this team the best chance to win next year. 

For the last two seasons, starting pitching outside of Skubal has been an issue for the team with injuries and ineffectiveness being a problem. Adding someone the caliber of Gore would help fix that problem. 

Furthermore, while Gore could help the team win in 2026, he could also provide them with some insurance if Skubal left. The southpaw is under team control through the 2027 campaign, which is an added bonus. 

While there aren’t many pitchers who could replace Skubal’s production, Gore at least would be a good insurance policy. In 2025, he totaled a 5-15 record and 4.17 ERA on a terrible Nationals team. However, with a FIP of 3.74 and a strikeout per nine rate of 10.4, there is still a lot of potential for the 26-year-old to get better. 

Being in a rotation with Skubal would likely help Gore get even better, and he could end up being a great option to help replace him if he leaves in free agency. While the price tag wouldn’t be cheap to acquire him, it makes a lot of sense for Detroit.