Why the Nationals Holding Onto MacKenzie Gore Could Be a Costly Mistake
Across Major League Baseball, one theme is dominating the offseason: everyone wants starting pitching. From the rebuilding A’s to the reigning back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers, the demand for arms is sky-high - and the supply?
Scarce. That’s what makes the Washington Nationals’ current stance so puzzling.
At the center of it all is MacKenzie Gore - a 26-year-old lefty with electric stuff, 185 strikeouts this past season, and two years of team control left. He’s not just a solid rotation piece; he’s shown flashes of being a frontline ace. And yet, as the rest of the league scrambles to shore up rotations, the Nationals are sitting tight.
It’s a risky play - and one that could come back to haunt them.
Gore’s Value May Never Be Higher
In today’s market, young, controllable starters with upside are gold. Free agent prices have gone through the roof, and the trade market for top-tier pitching is razor-thin. That puts Gore in a rarefied class - the kind of asset that could net Washington a massive return, both in top prospects and big-league-ready talent.
Right now, the Nationals hold a high-leverage card. Teams in win-now mode are willing to overpay for a difference-making arm. If Washington’s front office, led by President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni, chooses to hold onto Gore through the winter, they’re betting against the odds - and against history.
Injury Risk and Performance Volatility
Let’s be clear: Gore is a talented pitcher. But he’s not without risk. He ended the 2025 season battling shoulder inflammation and an ankle issue - not exactly minor red flags when you’re talking about a pitcher whose value hinges on his health.
He was a legitimate Cy Young candidate through June, but after the All-Star break, he posted a 6.75 ERA. That kind of second-half slide raises real concerns.
If he gets off to a rocky start in 2026 or, worse, suffers another injury, his trade value could plummet. Every inning he throws for a 65-win team is an inning that could have been used to bring back long-term assets.
Contenders aren’t looking to rent a pitcher for a few months - they’re paying for years of control. And right now, Gore offers just that. But the clock is ticking.
Rebuilds Are Built on Depth - Not Sentiment
The Nationals seem to believe Gore can be the ace who leads the staff when James Wood, Dylan Crews, and CJ Abrams are ready to contend. But that’s a big assumption - and a flawed one.
One arm, no matter how talented, doesn’t carry a rotation. Championship teams are built on depth, not hope.
If the Nats are serious about building a sustainable winner, flipping Gore while his value is peaking could be the move that accelerates the rebuild. Adding multiple high-end prospects or young MLB-ready players could deepen the talent pool and better align with the team’s competitive timeline.
Holding onto him, on the other hand, risks wasting a premium asset on a season that likely won’t matter in the standings.
This Isn’t Strasburg 2.0
Let’s not confuse this situation with the past. Gore isn’t Stephen Strasburg - not in terms of pedigree, not in terms of performance, and certainly not in terms of timing.
Strasburg was the centerpiece of a team that was ready to win. Gore is part of a roster still finding its footing.
There’s no room for nostalgia or emotional decision-making here. The Nationals need to be cold and calculated - the way smart front offices are when they’re building something real. If they wait too long, they risk watching Gore’s value fade while the rest of the league passes them by.
The Bottom Line
MacKenzie Gore is a valuable piece - but in the context of Washington’s rebuild, he might be more valuable as a trade chip than as a mid-rotation arm on a fourth-place team. Paul Toboni and the Nationals front office have a window right now to make a bold move that could reshape the future of the franchise.
The question is: will they take it?
Because if they don’t, and Gore’s stock dips due to injury or inconsistency, this could go down as one of the biggest missed opportunities of this rebuild.
So what’s your take? Is Gore the kind of arm you build around, or the kind of asset you flip to fast-track a contender? Either way, the Nationals are on the clock - and the market won’t wait forever.