The MLB offseason has arrived, and while the Washington Nationals might be looking to make improvements that will help the club’s long-term future, the front office might not view trading starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore as a wise strategy.
According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Nationals could choose to keep Gore on the team even though other clubs could be interested in a potential trade.
“Washington lefty MacKenzie Gore, under club control for two more seasons with a projected arbitration number of $4.7 million, would seem a more obvious candidate to move. But even with Gore, who plays for a rebuilding club, there is an argument to wait,” Rosenthal and Sammon wrote.
“Gore, who turns 27 in February, is one of the Nats players new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni believes might find “another gear.” The interest in him at the trade deadline, when free-agent alternatives are not available, should be even more intense. And naturally, the Nats think Gore might benefit from working with their new pitching coach, Simon Mathews.”
Gore went 5-15 with a 4.17 ERA across 30 starts last season as the Nationals sputtered to a 66-96 record as a team. The Wilmington native earned his first All-Star nod after posting a 3.02 ERA over his first 19 starts of the year, but only put up a 6.75 ERA through his final 11 starts.
According to Baseball Savant, Gore ranked in the 79th percentile in Breaking Run Value and the 80th percentile in K%.
It remains to be seen if the Nationals would be willing to part with Gore, but the southpaw could be a name to monitor this winter.
