MacKenzie Gore's inconsistency raises serious concerns. While talented, his late-season struggles make him a risky acquisition for the Cubs.
All eyes are on the pitching market as we head into the start of the Winter Meetings. Framber Valdez, Tatsuya Imai, Ranger Suarez, Michael King, and Zac Gallen are all generating buzz at this point in the offseason.
Well, it appears another frontline starter could be available for teams this offseason.
Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic believe the Nationals are open to trading MacKenzie Gore this winter. That’s on par with what Buster Olney reported last week, saying Gore “will definitely be among those moved in the days ahead.”
Gore was at the forefront of trade rumors at the 2025 deadline, but the Nationals ultimately decided to keep him. The Cubs were said to be one of those teams interested in trading for the up-and-coming left-hander.
With Washington bringing in a new president of baseball operations in Paul Tobani this offseason, Gore is certainly someone who could be on a new team come Spring Training. In his first year with the organization, Tobani could move pieces around to help improve the team’s future outlook.
One of those pieces could be Gore.
However, Gore shouldn’t be atop of the Cubs’ wishlist this offseason. While the 26-year-old has shown some promise throughout his short career, he has been far too inconsistent on the mound over the past few seasons.
That was the case last year, as the southpaw had a 6.75 ERA and 47 strikeouts across his final 11 starts of the season. Those numbers came after Gore posted an impressive 3.02 ERA and 138 strikeouts in the first half.
There’s no doubt that Gore has the potential to be a top-of-the-line starting pitcher for the Cubs’ rotation next season. He delivered 14 quality starts in 2025 and had several dominant outings throughout the year, including a standout performance when he threw six shutout innings with 13 strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies.
But there is too much risk in trading for a pitcher like Gore.
The Nationals' asking price will likely be extremely high, considering the left-hander has two years left of control and is still only 26 years old. That means the Cubs would likely have to part with several of their top prospects to even get Gore.
Washington would likely want one of the Cubs' top prospects (Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, Jaxon Wiggins) and potentially two other top-10 prospects in Chicago's farm system. That asking price could make it difficult to trade for Gore.
At the 2025 Trade Deadline, the Nationals supposedly wanted Cade Horton, Matt Shaw, and Caissie in exchange for the left-handed pitcher. Even with a new president of baseball operations in charge, Washington's asking price is going to be high.
For a pitcher who finished with a 4.17 ERA last season, the front office’s best opportunity to upgrade the rotation might be in free agency. Suarez, Imai, and King would all be better fits for the Cubs because they wouldn't have to give up any prospects to land those pitchers.
Although Gore is only set to make $6.5 million in 2026, his inconsistencies are a big reason Chicago should think twice about the left-hander. He has yet to have a season where he pitched strongly from start to finish, and the Cubs would likely have to get rid of Caissie, Ballesteros, and/or Wiggins to land him.