There was an interesting report that came out Yesterday, saying that the New York Mets have spoken to the Nationals about MacKenzie Gore. This brings up a fascinating discussion about the idea of trading a premium talent to your division rival. Of course, it would not be ideal, but the Mets happen to have one of the best farm systems in the sport.
Despite talking to the Mets, the report said that nothing is close and that the Nats asking price on Gore is “astronomically high”. The price should be high, especially for a division rival. If you are going to trade your best pitcher to your rival, you better nail the return. However, the Mets elite farm system makes it easier to nail a return.
Advertisement
The only Mets prospects totally off the table are Nolan McLean and Carson Benge. Those are both top 30 prospects and guys the Mets are counting on. However, there are plenty of other talented players in their system.
Jonah Tong could be a fun headliner if he is available. He posted a 1.43 ERA with 179 strikeouts in 113.2 minor league innings. Sure, he struggled in the MLB and needs to refine his breaking stuff, but he dominated the minors. Tong is also very young, at just 22 years old. His high release, combined with an elite fastball/changeup combination is very exciting.
However, Tong is far from the only guy the Nats could target in that system. The Mets have impressive depth and could give the Nats a fun quantity based package. A return of Brandon Sproat, Ryan Clifford and Jack Wenninger would be quite enticing. Those are two close to the big league arms and a potential first baseman of the future.
There are so many quality options to choose from in this Mets system and they match up nicely with the Nats needs. However, the Mets are going to need to pay up if they want Gore. If the packages from other teams are comparable, the Nats are likely to choose those deals. The Mets do have the ability to provide the Nats a return they cannot turn down.
Advertisement
The Mets are not the only team in New York interested in Gore though. There have also been reports that the Yankees are interested in the southpaw. Obviously, Nats fans would be more comfortable with the idea of Gore going to the Bronx. Even if the Yankees system is not as good as the Mets, they still have some interesting assets.
The Yankees have a few arms that would entice the Nats. Guys like Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess all excite me. Building a return around two of those three arms would be fun. Lagrange is massive and has electric stuff, which Paul Toboni clearly values. Hess looks like a prototypical middle of the rotation arm. Lastly, Rodriguez has a great feel for spin and a deep mix.
If the Nats wanted to do something a bit different, they could target Will Warren. He is not a prospect and is actually the same age as Gore. However, he has five years of control instead of two. He showed promise in his rookie season last year. A package based around Warren and Ben Hess could be worth considering.
Advertisement
Of course, the New York teams are not the only options here. The Giants make a ton of sense, especially if you can pry Bryce Eldridge away from them. I still believe the A’s could be a potential dark horse here.
Due to his upside and cheap price, most teams around the league should be interested in Gore. Only having two years of control is a limiting factor, but he is still a controllable piece for other teams.
We also know Gore’s salary for next year. The other day, the Nats and Gore agreed to avoid arbitration, giving him a $5.6 million deal for the 2026 season. That is extremely cheap compared to the free agent arms on the market like Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez. Gore has a similar ceiling to those guys at a fraction of the cost.
With another year of team control in 2027, Gore also comes at a major discount for next season. This is super valuable from a roster building perspective. In exchange for the cheap price and upside, teams are going to have to give the Nats a lot of prospect capital. Paul Toboni knows this, which is why he is asking for a lot.
Advertisement
The Nats seem to be in a good position to trade him this offseason. Teams are starting to get desperate as we get closer to Spring Training. Hopefully that killer offer comes in, but if it does not, Toboni seems to be comfortable holding on to Gore.
I am not opposed to the idea of trading Gore within the division, but the return better be stellar. If the Mets are offering the best package, it would be foolish to turn them down just because they are division rivals. The reason you are trading Gore is because the team is unlikely to be a true contender in the next couple years. If the Mets give you a package that helps make you a contender in the long term, take it.