MacKenzie Gore doesn't quite fit the Washington Nationals' timeline.
He's under club control for 2026 and 2027. Many of the Nats' best pieces are younger and will be around a handful of years longer than that.
That makes Gore a prime candidate to be traded.
ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel laid out the latest details in an article on Tuesday.
"Teams expect Gore to be wearing a different uniform by the end of 2026," the duo writes. "They just aren't sure whether a deal will happen now or at the trade deadline in July. 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."
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Maybe the most intriguing thing in what ESPN published on Tuesday is that the team listed as the top landing spot for Gore is the New York Yankees. They haven't really come up in many Gore rumors. They could certainly use another talented pitcher with strikeout ability, though.
"Gore was the No. 3 pick in the 2017 draft but didn't find big league success until 2024," Passan and McDaniel write. "He has been solid the past two years, ranking 23rd in pitcher WAR in that span, but hasn't quite made the jump to a frontline starter that some envisioned years ago. Gore throws at least 80% fastball/slider to lefties and at least 80% fastball/curveball to righties, so developing a fourth viable pitch shape could be the key; the best pitching development clubs excel at this."
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The Orioles, Rangers, Giants and Diamondbacks are also listed as possible ending points for Gore.
One way or the other, it sounds like he'll be on the move. It just might not be until July.
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