Phillies potential trade target: MacKenzie Gore

I have been examining a few players who have been rumored to be available on the trade market. Today, I will look at Washington Nationals’ lefthanded starter MacKenzie Gore

The background

Originally drafted third overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2017 draft, Gore became a top ten prospect and reached the major leagues in 2022. In August of that season, he was sent to Washington as part of the return for Juan Soto. He’s been in the Nationals’ rotation since the start of 2023, striking out a lot of hitters – you may remember when he struck out 13 Phillies on Opening Day last year – and he made the All-Star team (over Cristopher Sanchez!) but his overall numbers were just good, and not great: 4.17 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 10.4 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 3.0 bWAR.

Why he might be available

The Nationals have a new president of baseball operations in Paul Toboni, and like many new executives, he’s not beholden to players acquired by his predecessor. The Nationals once envisioned that young players like Gore and shortstop C.J. Abrams would lead to their next window of contention. But the new regime either doesn’t think that window will be opening soon or doesn’t think that those players are good enough to be part of it.

The explanation might actually be much simpler: The Nationals are one of the cheaper teams in baseball. Gore is in his second year of arbitration, and two years from free agency, and they just might not want to pay what he will likely command on the open market.

Why the Phillies might be interested

Every team should be interested in a team controlled 26-year-old lefty who has shown he can strike out major league hitters. Let Caleb Cotham work with him, and Gore could develop into a legitimate ace.

Why the Phillies might not be interested

With two more years of team control, the Nationals are certainly not forced to trade him this offseason. They are unlikely to move him for anything less than a major haul of prospects. Andrew Painter would almost certainly have to be in the deal, and possibly Aidan Miller too. How much of their limited prospect depth do the Phillies want to spend for a pitcher who has shown potential but is ultimately still something of a question mark?

Would I make the trade?

I would include Painter in a deal for Gore, because for all of Painter’s hype, there’s a good chance that Gore will be better than him for the next few seasons. But if the Nationals are asking for much more beyond that, I would pass, because you’d be emptying your system for a guy who has still yet to prove he’s an ace level pitcher.