Almost immediately upon the announcement that Paul Toboni had been hired as the Washington Nationals’ president of baseball operations, there was some thought that ace MacKenzie Gore could get traded this offseason.
A lot of that was speculation. The theory was Toboni would use his best trade asset to get back future building blocks to help this rebuilding process along, kicking the can further down the road when it comes to the timeline of competitiveness for this franchise.
Nothing substantial had really been reported that this was going to be the case besides former general manager Jim Bowden stating he believed it was only a matter of time before Gore was going to be shopped around the league.
However, in a recent ESPN article by Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, the two insiders shared some more prominent information that suggests Toboni is actively speaking with teams about a potential Gore trade.
Nationals Have Reportedly Spoken to Teams About Trading MacKenzie Gore
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“New Washington president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has held discussions with multiple teams about Gore, but the ask is understandably high. Gore’s impending free agency after 2027 complicates things somewhat,” Passan and McDaniel stated.
That is notable because it’s the first true indication that a trade could actually happen. While the insiders didn’t give a hint regarding what teams Washington has spoken to, there should be a wide range of interest from multiple front offices.
How high the asking price is wasn’t revealed, either. But considering what the St. Louis Cardinals got back for aging starter Sonny Gray, the Nationals understandably are asking for a hefty return package when it comes to Gore.
Nationals Could Also Wait Until Trade Deadline to Move MacKenzie Gore
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Washington also has a ton of leverage on their side since they don’t have to move their ace. If they don’t get the offer they want, then they’ll have no problem going into the upcoming season with the lefty leading their rotation. That would allow the Nationals to shop him ahead of the trade deadline, which then could net them the return they are looking for out of a potential deal.
“Teams expect Gore to be wearing a different uniform by the end of 2026. They just aren’t sure whether a deal will happen now or at the trade deadline in July,” Passan and McDaniel shared.
The first nugget in that statement is notable considering many teams are expecting Gore to be traded at some point where he will no longer be with Washington at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
Whether that happens this winter or ahead of the trade deadline isn’t clear. But if the Nationals are going to trade Gore, then they have to do whatever they can to maximize the return since they would be shipping out their best pitcher.
This will be something to monitor throughout the offseason and into 2026, as it has become more and more clear a Gore trade could be imminent at some point.
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