Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mackenzie Gore burst onto the scene in 2025. As he continues to ascend, talks continue to swirl around the 26-year-old being available for trade.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel believes that the Baltimore Orioles should trade for the Nationals’ All-Star, citing his ace-level potential and cheap contract.
“Gore hasn't quite made the jump to front-line starter. But he has some qualities in common with higher slot lefties who are front-line types, like Blake Snell and Max Fried, so there could be another gear to be teased out,” McDaniel said. “He also comes with two years of control and his arbitration number this year should land around $5 million.”
After being more or less a middling starting pitcher in the first three seasons of his career, Gore is coming off of a breakout season in 2025 in which he pitched to a 4.17 ERA and made his first career All-Star team. Gore also had 185 strikeouts in just 159.2 innings of work, showcasing his potential as a top-tier starting pitcher.
The Orioles lack serious starting pitching depth outside of Trevor Rogers, so adding a young up-and-coming starter to the fold could be beneficial long term.
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