Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
MacKenzie Gore could reportedly be available via trade by the Washington Nationals this winter. Should the pitcher-needy Padres bring him back?
The Juan Soto trade of 2022 sent shockwaves through baseball. A.J. Preller sent a boatload of prospects to the Washington Nationals for the lefty slugger’s services in the summer of the 2022 season, just in time for the Padres’ run to the NLCS that year.
Many scrutinized the deal at the time and still do today. Three main pieces of that trade were on full display for the Nationals this past season in outfield slugger James Wood, shortstop CJ Abrams, and lefty starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore.
Gore has put together two solid seasons for Washington in 2024 and 2025. Over those two years, his ERA sits at 4.03 with a 101 ERA+ with 366 strikeouts. He earned an All-Star nod last season after having a blistering first half, with a 3.02 ERA and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 19 starts. In the second half, he faded hard with a 6.75 ERA.
Still, he was one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball for the first half of last year. There is plenty to work with.
Now, heading into 2026, the Padres desperately need to add a starting pitcher or two. Yu Darvish is set to miss the entire 2026 season with UCL surgery. Dylan Cease just signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Plus, Michael King is as good as gone. That leaves the Padres with a top three in the rotation of Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove, and Randy Vasquez. Options like Kyle Hart, JP Sears, Matt Waldron, and Jhony Birto are the leftovers to compete for the final two spots.
Needless to say, another viable MLB-level starter is at the top of the Padres’ wish list this holiday season.
Reports are that the Nationals are willing to move Gore if they find a deal they like. They already have a history with San Diego. Would they be willing to give Gore back for the right package?
“The chances are moving a little bit upward…”
– @jonmorosi on a potential MacKenzie Gore trade pic.twitter.com/4YUbMzDITM
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 3, 202
Sure, Gore was not the same pitcher as the summer wore on into early fall last season. But the Padres are very familiar with his skillset, since they drafted him No. 3 overall back in 2017. Even with his hard falloff in the second half, he finished 23rd in the league in strikeouts with the sixth-best strikeout rate in the league, minimum of 150 innings. He has one of the best overall repertoires in baseball. His devastating curveball, slider, and changeup go well with his fastball.
Given his uneven, but still overall average, two full seasons in Washington, he is worth looking at to add to San Diego’s rotation. With two more years of team control, he would come at a low price against the payroll, which would drive the asking price up on Washington’s side.
With the two sides having done business before, the door is already cracked open. If Gore had to be traded, San Diego makes a lot of sense as a destination.
Credit: MLB.com
If the Padres were to acquire Gore, he would slide nicely into the No. 3 role after the duo of Pivetta and Musgrove.
With two seasons of workhorse-like numbers, two years of control left, and still not yet even 27 years old, Gore will likely command a hefty haul for Washington. Still, he is yet to put together an entire full season of above-average pitching. There is inherent risk.
What would the Padres need to offer to get their former third overall pick back?
The deal would certainly cost at least one of San Diego’s top pitching prospects, such as the most recent first-round pick, Kruz Schoolcraft, Kash Mayfield, or Humberto Cruz. One of them, plus another solid prospect, might be the price to even get in the door. It may cost the Padres multiple top 10 prospects.
With pitching depth sorely needed, Gore’s track record for at least staying healthy and getting high strikeout numbers, along with him being set in the rotation for two full seasons, it might be worth it. The Padres simply need more pitching without breaking the bank. Gore is a solid option to do that.
Given he isn’t one with a track record of multiple All-Star seasons, the Padres should be able to get him without parting with catcher Ethan Salas.
Trade proposal:
Padres get: LHP MacKenzie Gore
Nationals get: LHP Kash Mayfield (SD #3), RHP Miguel Mendez (SD #5), 1B Romeo Sanabria (SD #21)
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.
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