The MLB trade deadline has come and passed, as numerous teams around the league made moves. The San Diego Padres were one of the franchises that pushed for big moves in the hope of improving the roster for the playoffs. However, rumors claim that the organization missed out on starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore after initially making a strong push for him.
It's said that the Padres made a strong push for Gore with the Washington Nationals in an attempt to beef up the starting rotation, according to Insider Jon Heyman. Rumors claim that San Diego was one of the most aggressive teams pursuing the 26-year-old pitcher. But ultimately, the Nationals chose to keep him on the roster.
“Interestingly, the Padres also made a real run at former Padre Mackenzie Gore, part of the Nats’ all-time package for Juan Soto. Not sure anyone came close on the All-Star lefty, but the Padres were maybe the most aggressive pursuer.”
As Heyman states, Gore was originally on the Padres' roster and was involved in the trade that helped San Diego land Juan Soto. Since that trade, San Diego lost Soto in free agency to the New York Mets. Despite that, the franchise remains competitive, as San Diego is in second place in the NL West and is just 3.0 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gore seems to be a building block for the Nationals right now, which is likely why the front office chose to keep him. MacKenzie Gore has played relatively well so far this season, posting a 3.80 ERA and 1.293 WHIP while recording 148 strikeouts through 123.0 innings pitched. He certainly would have been a nice addition for the Padres before the MLB trade deadline.
Instead, the Padres will rely on a starting rotation consisting of Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish, Randy Vasquez, JP Sears, and Nestor Cortes. Meanwhile, Michael King and Joe Musgrove are spending time on the IL.
