SURPRISE: The Washington Nationals Make NO Moves At The Winter Meetings: MacKenzie Gore Trade Market

Washington Nationals, you surprised me this past week. You are Locked on Nationals, your daily Washington Nationals podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. And thank you all for making Lockdown Nationals your first listen every single day as we are free and available wherever you get your podcast. And I am your host Ryan Clary. Yes, we are part of the Locked On podcast network where it’s your team every single day. And later on in today’s program, we’ll have a discussion as Josiah Gray has avoided arbitration, has agreed to a deal for the Washington Nationals in 2026. We’ll discuss that and kind of get into a 2026 preview for Josiah Gray as he gets back from Tommy John surgery. It’ll be the first time we’ll see him on a mound for the Washington Nationals since 2024. So, we’ll discuss that later on in the program today. And in the second segment, this year just might be an evaluation year. And I’ll tell you exactly what that means and what that could look like later on in the program today. But the Washington Nationals, they surprised me this past week. I’ll tell you exactly how they did that. But today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. And if you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit fanuel.com and place your NFL live bets all season long in Washington Nationals. The Washington Nationals, Paul Demon, Blake Duterra, everybody out there. You guys surprised me this past weekend. And I think that really the biggest surprise for me was the fact that the Nationals did not trade their all-star pitcher in McKenzie Gore. Now that does not mean that they will not trade them. I think that Gore at this point is most definitely going to be traded. I felt as if last week as like a rate of just kind of a percentage chance that I thought Gore would be moved. I thought it was up to like a 80% chance. Like I truly felt as if that a Gore trade would happen. Today I’m kind of more so like a 65% chance and I’m pretty sure he will get traded still this off season, but the McKenzie Gore trade rumors are still happening today. And in fact, there is still a huge market out there trying to get the left-handed pitcher. And I think what is happening at this point, there’s a couple of different things. Number one, I do believe in the fact that there may be a tar school trade. Something out there, something that we do not know at this point. And there has been enough smoke surrounding a school trade to make you think that that could be happening. And if that is happening, then yes, of course, it’s going to slow down a Mackenzie Gore trade market because up before that point, Gore was the number one left-handed starting pitcher on the market. He just was. And I think that a lot of teams that would be going for McKenzie Gore are also going to be in the running for Tar Scubble who is the multi-time Sai Young winner heading heading into his final year before free agency and teams are going to want to pounce all over that considering that he is probably the best pitcher in today’s game. But also, I think the market on Gore is so big that if you look around baseball, everybody is throwing in their offers at this point. And also, I think with really what happened this week, teams might be even more in on McKenzie. And I think one team that we really should be watching is the New York Mets. There are now reports out there from some credible people. I believe John Haymon was in on this. I believe Ken Rosenthal is also in there on this that they are now willing to move off of one of their top pitching prospects, Jonah Tong, who is number 46 according to MLB.com and they are willing to move off him in a trade. Now, no one has mentioned what would they be targeting in that trade, but just hearing all the reports and what the Mets are doing right now, they’re going for this defense pitching first approach. Last off seasonason they signed Juan Sodto to a $800 million contract and they called it a year and that’s a great signing by them still. But if you look around what exactly they are doing, they signed Jorge Palano this weekend to make him their first baseman long term. That is a defensive addition that they believe will help their defense while also helping out their offense. They believe in the fact that especially with David Cerns, pitching and defense is going to get them back into MLB contention here. I think that they are a prime team at this point to really make a push for McKenzie Gore. And I think that’s something to watch over these next few days, especially considering the fact that they are now willing to move off their number 46 guy and really a top five guy in their system, Jonah Tong. Now, if the Nationals were to make a trade with the Mets, I went on this past week, and you can go back and find this full segment, but I’m totally fine trading Mackenzie or in the division. Would it suck? Absolutely it would. But I see Bryce Harper, I see Juan Sodto, Trey Turner, I’ve seen Matt Schroer go to the Mets. It’s no big deal to this at this point for me. Would it sting? It sure would. But also, I’ve seen this McKenzie Gore. I love the guy, but if you can get back a good return, you better get the best package possible. And I think you are in a position to get the best package possible surrounding with a guy like a Jonah Tong and maybe throw in a Jet Williams type, one of their top guys as well. I don’t know what the Mets would be willing to give off, but you can kind of read the tea leaves. they would be willing to give off some of their top guys for good starting pitching to help them today because they obviously want to upgrade their rotation. They want to upgrade their defense and the way that they have been kind of sleeping this off season so far, not dishing out some massive money, losing Pete Alonzo, training Brandon NMO, like they are kind of a sleeping giant at this point and maybe McKenzie Gore is that move for the New York Mets. So there’s my case for it, watch out for a Jonah Tong, McKenzie Gore trade. But speaking of starting pitching, another thing that we expect in the Nationals to do this winter meetings was sign a starting pitcher. They did not do that. For whatever reason, the Nationals left with really nothing the past winter meetings. I mean, they made no significant moves. Um, we’re still waiting on maybe some free agents that they’re interested in. you haven’t really seen too much out there, but a guy that I think the Nationals should be in on was a Dustin May. Dustin May signed with the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend here to a one-year deal, and that was kind of the guy that I really wanted the Nationals to take here. The Red Sox traded for him right before the trade deadline this year. Paul Tabone obviously being a very crucial presence in that Red Sox front office. And so I thought like the everything just kind of aligned there and I felt as if that the Nationals would maybe kick the tires on Dustin May who didn’t look great down the stretch but as we have seen in years past this is a very talented pitcher who has come out of the bullpin in October who has been a starting pitcher and he’d been a really good one at times. Unfortunately he has obviously battled a ton of injuries over the past few seasons really dating back to his Dodger days that he was shut down. He missed a couple of years straight and he came back this year, looked okay at times, but unfortunately just really hasn’t gotten back on the right track. I felt as if this opportunity in DC would be perfect for someone like a Dustin May, but I also think an organization like the Cardinals, you might see Dustin May thrive. So, I did not see the Nationals getting after any starting pitchers. The number one guy that I really thought was realistic was Dustin May. And I think we have to kick that thing down in the side because he signed with the Cardinals. But I do think there is one other name that might be interesting for you to watch. And I don’t know if they’re going to make this move. I don’t know if this is going to be a financial burden on this team at this point, but Lucas Gilo, Lucas Gilo might be a very interesting name to watch. Obviously a former top pick by the Washington Nationals in 2012 or in 2013 actually I believe a former top prospect with this organization. This was someone who was at one point untouchable in trade talks for the Nationals and then they ultimately decide to move off him. They get Adam Eaton back in return and the rest is history here. I think the Nationals and Lucas Giludo might be a very interesting target. Here’s the thing. 31 years old, coming off a pretty solid year in 26 starts, had a 341 RA with the Red Sox. I think that the Nationals might try to go after Gilito. Now, I don’t know what the market is for him. Like, is he going to get a three, fouryear contract? It wouldn’t surprise me. Is he going to try to go for a one-year contract and a prove it deal and really try to bank in this next off season? Potentially. But also, there’s a lot of things to consider here. Number one, the lockout next year. There may be a salary cap. There may be a salary floor. We don’t know what is going to happen with that. The players don’t know what’s going to happen with that. The agents don’t know what’s going to happen with that. So, maybe some guys are really trying to bank in this off season and get the best possible deal long term for them. So, that’s number one to consider. But number two, they may just want to say, “Hey, I just want to take a one-year deal, see what happens next, free agency, and then figure things out for a long-term deal.” Glo is kind of in that camp where he could do both because he’s coming off a good year. He’s coming off a year which he missed 2024, bounced back this year, looked pretty good with the Red Sox, and in 26 starts looked good. like he wasn’t like his strikeout ace that he once was back with the White Socks and even with the Nationals coming up in our organization here. But I think that the Nationals should be trying to kick the tires on a GLO signing. And I think that with reading everything out there, you’re expected to trade McKenzie Gore. I would like to think the Nationals will get a starting pitcher back in that return. So think of that for a second. But then also, you still need a veteran presence in this clubhouse. And I think that GLO being with the Nationals back in the day coming up in this organization and is a completely new regime here, of course. But I think Gito would be a really good addition for someone who is a leader and someone who I think could really stabilize this starting rotation because you have got a lot of talented young guys that we’ll talk about throughout this off season, but you still need that veteran guy. Trevor Williams, with all due respect, he’s had some injury issues the past two years. Is he really going to pay or make that big of a difference going forward? I don’t know at this point. Is he going to be healthy? I don’t know at this point. It’s kind of hard to bet on that. And even then, is he in the future plans for the Nationals? Probably not at this point. So, I think that Paul Tabone, if you are trying to make a quote unquote splash move, Glo may be in that category for you that I think could actually help this team in both on the field and also off the field. Ryan Zimmerman talked a lot about this this offseason. And I thought it’s a great point and something that we’ve been banging here for quite some time now, but this Nationals team, they need a veteran leader. They need their Jason Worth. You’re not going to go out there and sign someone to a $400 million deal at this point. I think we can all say that’s pretty safe, not going to happen at this juncture. But GLO would be a pretty fine secondary market. like you need someone who is going to lead this clubhouse and really just kind of take this organization and run with it. I think Golito could easily fit in that bucket and I think that he would be a big plus and a big addition to not only help this team win but also help in the leadership category which this team so desperately needs at this point in time. So the Nationals again the two things that surprised me most about this past week is that they did not trade Mackenzie Gore. I thought it was a surefire thing. Everybody was talking about it. Every every MLB insider was like, “Yeah, Mackenzie Gore trade is going to happen and we think that’ll be the first domino to fall.” Well, the trade market has slowed down. No trades have really been happening and we’re just kind of in wait and see mode as far as McKenzie Gore goes. So, stay tuned for that. But then also, again, the Nationals did not add a starting pitcher. I thought that was something that they for sure would do. and they also have not added a major leaguer. So that’s something to consider as well. But we’ll talk more about the winter meetings as the week goes on here. We are down to three episodes per week in the offseason format for locked on nationals. But later on in the show today, want to jump into Josiah Gray. I also next want to get into maybe an evaluation year that could be coming to Washington DC. Stay tuned for that. There was a move. One of the Nationals did sign with another team just this morning. We’ll talk about that after this. And yes, I want to tell you guys about our friends over at FanDuel and NFL Sundays. Move fast in one big play and suddenly everything feels different. That’s what makes live betting with FanDuel so exciting. You’re not just watching the game, you’re reacting to it in real time. And with FanDuel, you can place live bets as the action unfolds. Every drive, every momentum swing, in every highlight moment. Live betting is best when the game starts to shift, a receiver gets hot, a defense tightens up, or the momentum flips after a turnover. FanDuel lets you jump into the moment with live spreads and money lines. And I love it because tonight you’ve got the Steelers and the Dolphins. The Dolphins, the Miami Dolphins going to Pittsburgh in 18°ree weather tonight. that soft Miami team, there’s no chance they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. I’ve got the Steelers on the money line tonight. I also have a Kenneth Gainwell anytime touchdown score prop. He’s been the hot hand in Pittsburgh. And as the games go on, maybe you feel as if a Jaylen Waddle anytime touchdown score happens. Maybe you think Tua over on the passing yards or under on the passing yards comes to fruition or Aaron Rodgers over on his total passing yards. You can do all of that and all the other passing and receiving props and more with our friends at FanDuel. So, if you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit fanuel.com and place your NFL live bets all season long. FanDuel, the game moves fast and so can you. And we are back here on Locked on Nationals. If you have not done so already, look up Locked on Nationals wherever you get your podcast. So, this might be an evaluation year for the Nationals. I think just kind of seeing where everything is going with how slowm moving this market is in DC, it does feel as if that this is going to be like a hey, we’re not ready to sign anybody yet. And hey, we kind of want to see what’s going on with this organization before we make any long-term implications. Now, what does that look like? So Paul Tabone did say that he does want to address the first base position. Now what does that mean? Like are they going to go out and make a big trade for a first baseman? Probably not. Are they going to go out there and make a big free agency signing? No. But I also think that it’s going to be something in between that. Like I’ve talked about Yandre Morales. I just don’t know if the Nationals have him in the future plans. Like for me at this point, Deblo, the one mistake that he made as the interim GM was not getting him up in September. I wanted to see I wanted to evaluate him. I think the Nationals should have evaluated him. He was down in Triple A. He looked okay at times. He was hot in the month of August. the time would have been to bring him up this September and really see what you have because if he does play well over at first base defensively and if he’s hitting the baseball then you have something to talk about heading into spring training and you have a point there of saying hey we may have something over at first base but I have not seen that up in the major league level yet and in fact you did kind of finish the year a little weak there in the final couple of weeks in September so we don’t really know what’s going to happen over at first base. Although that’s something that they did say that they want to address. Maybe addressing first base looks like a Luis Garcia Jr. over at first base. I mean, seriously, at this point, I would not be surprised to see the Nationals say, “We’re not going to make some big-time signing, and we feel as if that we need to evaluate the guys that we have on this roster.” And there is a good case to have there because if you look around the diamond, you’ve got 2122 year old third baseman with Brady House. He’s going to have the 162 game slate to figure out exactly what he’s going to be. CJ Abrams, while all the trade rumors are still happening, he’s not going to get moved. It feels as if that the Nationals feel good about Abrams moving forward. And this is going to be an evaluation year for Abrams as well. Second base, Luis Garcia Jr. He was at one point some people expected him to get DF not DFAD but to get non-tendered this off seasonason that did not happen. The Nationals did tender him a contract and he will be on this Nats roster moving forward. So I think Garcia may be the odd man out and in fact you may see him go over to first base take some reps there because that is something that he is doing in the winter leagues this off season. I think that Luis Garcia Jr. at this point, second base, like yes, that’s going to be his primary position, but do not be surprised if he is going to be the not the long-term answer at first base, but maybe the short-term answer over at first base. And you’ve got a couple of different options over at second base in my mind. Number one is Nim Nunees. I love Nim Nunees. I love the way that he plays. I think he’s a great defender. And also maybe you move over Nunes to shortstop for a little bit and try with the long-term answer potentially with CJ Abrams over at second base because there is no question about it. Nim Nunees is the better shortstop between Abrams and himself. Nunees might be seeing some shortstop reps this year if the Nationals do not make any long-term commitments over that shortstop position. So that’s number one. And then number two, I think just seeing where Garcia is in his development, he’s not a full-time second baseman and there’s a real case to be made that he has a long-term future over at first base. Now, is he going to be good defensively there? I don’t know. But also, with the way that the Nationals have spent in player development, they’re getting the correct technology in the building. The time to try these different moves is now for this team. And I think that there might be a case for him playing first base to start this season and moving to see Nunees to shortstop and moving Abrams to second base. I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think that if it does happen, it will happen in the middle of the season if Abrams and Garcia can prove that they can’t be at tandem up the middle. And I think that that is a realistic thing that could be happening, which leads us into like this evaluation here from the Nationals. By the way, Josh Bell just signed with the Minnesota Twins. And I think a lot of people kind of expected him to come back to the Nationals. I think I was kind of in that camp where it was like, “Yeah, that makes sense. A veteran guy in this clubhouse.” He looked really good down the stretch for this team. The switch hitter can play first base, can be DH primarily, but the Nationals opted out of that and said, “We’re going to go elsewhere.” Or maybe Josh Bell opted out of that and said, “I’m going to go elsewhere.” But right now, it just leads me to believe that this is going to be a very young team and this season, while it may be long, it’s really going to be about the long-term evaluation of what you already have. Garcia, he’s the number one guy that I think that you’re really going to have to evaluate. Abrams, the number two guy, and maybe he’s probably the number one even, especially with all the trade rumors. And I think we already kind of know what we have with CJ Abrams, but I think this year is really going to indicate whether or not this is a true building block of a player or if he is going to be a trade piece at the deadline or maybe a trade candidate in next off seasonason before the dead before uh the lockout happens. Like we don’t know at this point in time, but there’s a lot of different things I think the Nationals will be evaluating. And I think right now with where things stand today, those are kind of the hot options and it feels as if that with the lack of moves at this point, the Nationals could be looking at like a hey, let’s stay put. Let’s see what we have in this roster. And then this trade deadline, we’ll make some moves. We’ll maybe trade Luis Garcia. Maybe we’ll trade CJ Abrams, Josiah Gray, a couple of different guys on this team and see if we can get value back in return. And for some people that’s music to their ears. For others, they just want to not hear that and just really get back into winning. But I think a lot of these things may kind of go the Nationals way as we go forward. But a lot of things to consider with the Nationals. I feel as if right now I feel good about where they are at. I do want to see a McKenzie Gore trade happen because I think that will help this team in the long run. But again, do not be surprised if this is an evaluation year. I do want to get into Josiah Gray real quick because Josiah Gray is kind of the forgotten arm in the system and he did agree to a deal to avoid avoid arbitration heading into 2026. So, we’ll talk about that after this. The World Cup is coming back to North America for the first time since 1994. And with 48 teams for the first time ever, it’s going to be massive. But let’s be honest, getting tickets is usually the hardest part. And that’s why the Game Time app is clutch. Finally giving fans a real advantage when it comes to snagging seats. And with Game Time, you can track price drops in real try in real time. Get alerts when great seats open and buy tickets the moment they hit the app. It puts the power back in your hands. It makes going to the World Cup realistic instead of impossible. And you can pull up the app and the layout makes it so simple to scroll through matchups and compare seat views. You can pick a game, you can tap the section, you can see their zone deals. And of course, you can have your tickets locked in within minutes with no confusion and no hunting for fine print. And yes, price prices include fees upfront, which I love. There’s no last second surprises at checkout. And alerts for teams and matches make it easy to grab tickets the moment they drop instead of missing out. So take the guesswork out of buying tickets to the World Cup and every match concert or event with Game Time. So download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on MLB for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Again, download the app, make an account, and use code locked on MLB for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. That is the Game Time app. And we’re back here on Lockdown Nationals as the Washington Nationals have agreed to a one-year deal or not agreed to a one-year deal. They’ve avoided arbitration with Josiah Gray, which was the expectation and the figures are in. They have signed him to a $1.35 million deal for 2026. Josiah Gray coming off a Tommy John surgery early on in 2024 sometime during that summer. missed this full season, did have a couple of rehab stints, kind of started to work his way back in the end of the year, and he’s is expected to be a full go for spring training this year. And this is a really exciting time for Josiah Gray because I think that while the Nationals, it was the worst case scenario to have him get Tommy John surgery when he did because I think Josiah Gray number one is kind of that clubhouse leader. He is a great kind of guy to have in this rotation and at this point he is the forgotten guy. The 2023 All-Star at one point in time was putting up some really good numbers for this team. 2024 to begin the year was a really rough start. 2023 to end the year was really bad for Josiah Gray. We saw him give up a lot of home runs over his tenure here. He’s given up a lot of earned runs. He had erra north of five at one point, but you really started to see him kind of hone in on his craft and really just kind of figure out what exactly he is as a starting pitcher. And I think that with someone who is so smart the way that Josiah Gray is working under this new staff with Simon Matthews coming over from driveline, Paul Deabone and the player development staff that him and Devin Pearson have been putting together. Like I want to see what this coaching staff and what this front office can do with someone who is so smart the way that Gray is and also just kind of works batters in a very unique way. like he’s not going to overpower you with a 98 99 mile per hour fast ball. Like he’s going to think before that you before you think he’s going to try to place his uh slider in the zone and he’s going to try to generate some swings and misses. And I think that working with someone like that here in DC like that is going to be a new sign of the times and the way that the Nationals can develop someone like Gray. So coming up Tommy John surgery, there’s a lot of things to consider. The fatiguess, like will he have his arm strength back? Will he have his slider back? Will he have his secondary pitches back? Those are all things to consider. And I think that as we kind of get into this more and more and more, he will be a part of this rotation, but I think the expectations for him kind of change at this point. And I like Josiah Gray, but I think I like him as a four five starter. I think at this point that’s kind of the dream for him. And if you look around the Nationals, you also have DJ Hers coming off Tommy John. He should be back hopefully sometime this summer. And you’ve got Tyler Stewart, another guy who was in this nationals system. And he’s coming off Tommy John surgery. Another left-handed pitcher. Uh Andrew Bennett or Jake Bennett rather. He is coming off of Tommy John surgery and he looked really good in his return back this season. So maybe he’s in the rotation at some point this year. Like you’ve got a lot of guys coming off of injuries ready to make a move up in the major leagues. And I think Josiah Gray, he’s obviously going to be the first one that you’ll be looking at that you’ll be watching. And I think he will start up in the majors. I don’t think they’re going to kind of work his way back in the minors. You’ll see him on a pitch pitching uh limit at first. Maybe only like five to six innings, 80 to 95 pitches at a single time. And you won’t really see him go above that until the second half. And they’ll probably kind of slow play this. And I think that’s something that they should do. But Josiah Gray is certainly one guy that I think a lot of people may have just kind of forgotten about. But he is back. He will be in their in this rotation. I think he’s going to be a very interesting guy to watch as the Nationals really kind of dig deeper in this rebuild. So we’ll catch more about the Washington Nationals as the week goes on. all the other rumors out there. See if the Nationals are still shopping McKenzie Gore. I’ll give you all the latest on that. And as we continue to break on break down the Washington Nationals offseason, I’ll catch you guys on the flip side. Have a good one. Go Nats.

Washington Nationals shake up the offseason by holding onto Mackenzie Gore for now and staying quiet on starting pitching signings—could an evaluation year be ahead? Ryan Clary unpacks trade rumors swirling around Gore, the intrigue of a possible deal with the New York Mets, and what Jonah Tong or Jett Williams could bring to Washington. The conversation spotlights why Lucas Giolito might be the veteran leadership this young Nationals roster desperately needs and examines missed opportunities with pitchers like Dustin May. Key storylines include the potential reshuffling of Luis Garcia Jr. to first base, the organization’s focus on player development, and the looming question marks around C.J. Abrams’ future. Ryan Clary also discusses Josiah Gray’s return from Tommy John surgery and what his 2026 deal means for the rotation.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nationals/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ryanclary11
Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LO_Nationals
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA and NFL seasons are here, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
#Nationals #WashingtonNationals #MLB
00:00 MacKenzie Gore Trade Speculation

03:11 Mets Eyeing Pitching Trade Targets

07:14 Cardinals Sign Pitcher Dustin May

10:48 Nationals Should Chase Giolito

15:29 Nationals Evaluation Season Insights

17:49 Nationals Focus on Youth Evaluation

20:19 Nationals’ Lineup Changes Explored

24:55 Nationals Avoid Arbitration with Gray

Leave a Reply