The possible trade of MacKenzie Gore continues to be a hot top surrounding the Washington Nationals this offseason.
Analysts believe new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni will look to use the left-handed ace to kick-start this rebuild even further by getting back key prospects for the future. Considering Gore’s value might be at its peak since he still has two more years of club control remaining and is entering his prime in terms of age, there’s a real chance he could be on his way out of the nation’s capital.
But things got a bit complicated when the Boston Red Sox traded for Sonny Gray. That was seen as an obvious landing spot for Gore, as the Nationals could likely get back the maximum return value possible based on Toboni and his front office’s familiarity with the Red Sox’s pipeline.
As it stands right now, Boston is probably out of the Gore sweepstakes. So Washington will have to shop him around to other teams to make sure they are maximizing the package they get in return. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report put together a hypothetical offer that would send Gore to the Baltimore Orioles, and it’s one Nationals fans might might be interested in.
Nationals Send MacKenzie Gore to Orioles in Hypothetical Deal
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In Reuter’s proposed deal, he has Washington getting back left-handed pitcher Cade Povich, outfielder Dylan Beavers, right-handed pitcher Esteban Mejia and right-handed pitcher Trey Gibson.
Povich is a former top prospect who made his major league debut in 2024. Beavers is currently ranked No. 2 in the Orioles’ pipeline and flashed some good stuff when he was called up late in the year this past season with a .227/.375/.400 slash line, four home runs, 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBIs across 35 games. Mejia is ranked No. 7 and Gibson is ranked No. 12 in Baltimore’s farm system.
On paper, the return package looks to be strong. The Nationals would get three top-12 prospects and an MLB pitcher. Beavers is also a major league-ready prospect. Mejia is 18 years old and has a fastball that touches above 100 mph. He also has been incredible in his professional career with a 3.05 ERA across 24 starts. Gibson reached Triple-A last season, so he could also be someone who fills a big league role for Washington immediately.
Should Nationals Accept This Proposed Trade?
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To me, this return package feels a bit underwhelming.
Povich has not been good during his time in the majors. He has a 6-17 record with an ERA of 5.20 and an ERA+ that’s 24 points below the league average of 100 across 38 outings (36 starts). He also has struck out just 187 batters in 192 innings pitched with 77 walks.
While the Povich wouldn’t be the headliner of this deal by any means, the goal of trading Gore in the first place would be to set this franchise up for success in the future. And there’s no guarantee Povich is going to be part of that based on how he’s looked to date.
Similarly, while getting back the second-ranked prospect from the Orioles would be headline-grabbing, there are also some major question marks about the long-term viability of Beavers at the big league level.
“Committing to a corner, though, will put more pressure on Beavers’ bat, which remains streaky and prone to slumps. That’s the tool that will determine whether he develops into an everyday player or a versatile depth piece with a varied skill set,” his scouting report from MLB Pipeline states.
DYLAN BEAVERS FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/elzYWxlgPU
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 21, 2025
If Beavers hits, then he could be a key piece of this lineup. However, can the Nationals really afford for one of the headlining return players to be a depth outfielder when they already have a multiple options across that unit?
And while Gibson appears to be an MLB-ready arm, he struggled during his time at Triple-A this past season with a 7.98 ERA across seven starts. The 23-year-old could still develop and turn into a real rotation option for Washington, but he also might be forced into a relief role at some point, too, which would be a disappointing outcome if that were to happen.
Mejia appears to be the gem of this proposed trade package. He has the makings of a future star pitcher in his career, and pairing him with the likes of Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana could be enough to make Toboni bite on a deal like this.
But in my opinion, Washington should not accept this hypothetical offer. While it looks solid on paper, there are too many questions marks and not enough upside to move Gore for this.
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