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After a summer of jockeying atop the NL East, the New York Mets enter the final days before the trade deadline positioned to strike a franchise-altering deal for a young frontline starter. The Washington Nationals, stuck in a grueling rebuild but blessed with a burgeoning core, find themselves holding one of the market’s hottest chips: 26-year-old left-hander MacKenzie Gore. While most rival GMs still believe Gore is “untouchable,” sources confirm the Nats are at least listening to offers—albeit with a “sky-high” price tag reflective of Gore’s ace pedigree, recent All-Star status, and two-plus years of team control through 2027.
Why MacKenzie Gore Fits the Mets
Gore is the rarest of commodities on the market: a 26-year-old All-Star lefty, 3.52 ERA, with elite strikeout stuff (144 Ks in 117.2 innings this season), and no signs of regression after injuries previously stalled his rise. With the Mets holding a narrow lead in the NL East and injuries chipping away at their rotation depth, a rotation led by Gore, Kodai Senga, and Clay Holmes could anchor a run through October. His blend of swing-and-miss stuff and resilience under the lights is exactly what New York’s pitching staff lacks, a need David Stearns and the Mets front office have made clear they’re ready to fill.
In his article this morning, @JeffPassan named MacKenzie Gore the best fit for the Cubs at the deadline.
Gore this season:
112.2 IP | 3.59 ERA | 1.27 WHIP | 140 KHe’s got filthy stuff — his curve, slider, changeup, and cutter all have 40%+ whiff rates.
pic.twitter.com/FhDiGtKNiE— The Wrigley Wire (@TheWrigleyWire) July 23, 2025
But it will take a king’s ransom to pry Gore from D.C..
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo and his interim staff insist trading Gore isn’t a focus; he headlines a young core alongside CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, and James Wood. Nonetheless, Washington knows an offer of top-tier, MLB-ready prospects, especially pitching and infield bats, can’t be dismissed out of hand. The Nationals are prioritizing cost-controlled, high-upside returns that accelerate their rebuild, rather than just adding lower-level lottery tickets.
The Mets have quietly rebuilt one of the sport’s deeper pitching pipelines and are loaded with advanced infield prospects. Players like Blade Tidwell, an MLB-ready flamethrower, and Mark Vientos, a controllable slugger with postseason experience, headline a system ready to match the Nationals’ steep demands. To land Gore, the Mets must deal from strength, betting on the impact of a frontline starter right now versus the promise of future prospects.
The Perfect Mets Trade Proposal for MacKenzie Gore
The Mets receive:
- MacKenzie Gore, LHP
The Nationals receive:
- Blade Tidwell, RHP
- Mark Vientos, 1B/3B
- Jett Williams, SS/CF
- Christian Scott, RHP
For Washington, this deal returns a potential future ace in Tidwell and an immediate offensive boost in Vientos, plus a blue-chip up-the-middle prospect in Williams and a rotation-ready arm in Scott. It’s the exact sort of package that moves the needle for a controllable All-Star—likely surpassing what most rivals could offer without gutting their own cores.
Mets prospect Blade Tidwell tonight for High-A Brooklyn:
5.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
The Mets 2022 second round pick has 26 strikeouts (10 walks) in 16 2/3 innings.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) May 5, 2023
From the Mets’ perspective, the price is steep—but shipping these four means keeping the very top of their farm (Drew Gilbert, Luisangel Acuña) intact, while gaining a locked-in top-3 starter to pair with Senga across multiple playoff runs.
If executed, such a trade would instantly vault the Nationals’ rebuild forward and thicken their positional depth for years to come—perhaps setting up a new era in the NL East as their young core matures together with a group of almost-ready prospects.
For the Mets, it’s a clear declaration: they’re not content with just playoff appearances, they’re aiming for a World Series window while maximizing the prime years of their superstars.
A deal of this magnitude would ripple beyond just the Mets and Nationals. Executing a MacKenzie Gore blockbuster at this stage in his career would set a new precedent for young, cost-controlled frontline starters as the game’s most valuable currency. For the Mets, sacrificing MLB-ready talent signifies a clear and immediate shift from patience to a win-now mentality, raising expectations in the clubhouse and among their demanding fanbase.
The door isn’t wide open for a MacKenzie Gore blockbuster. But it isn’t locked, either, if the right offer, one exactly like this—lands on the Nationals’ doorstep. With both teams at a crossroads, this is a trade proposal that would set the National League, and the direction of two franchises, on fire.
