The Nationals need to address their pitching problem first and foremost. I would do that not by trading 2024 All-Star CJ Abrams but by trading MacKenzie Gore. The Nationals have a decently strong farm system, with highly touted pitchers that can bolster the team in the coming years, but they need help now--and for that, Gore is the way to go.
The lefty made 32 starts in 2024. He had a 14-start stretch in the middle where he posted a 6.18 ERA, 19.8 K%, and 11.4 BB%. That 8.3 K-BB% was the fourth-worst in baseball among qualified starters during that June 3rd-August 17th period. Before and after that, Gore pitched like an ace. His velocity was up early in the season, spiking to 96.6 miles per hour from the beginning of the year through July 1st. It was a full mile per hour slower from that point on.
While Monday's game did have some nice moments, such as the towering homer hit by Dylan Crews as he continues to finish the season strong, the team could not get out of the hole that scuffling ace MacKenzie Gore put them in early on. After Nasim Nuñez homered to lead off the game, it appeared as if the visiting team would be in business, but that proved not to be the case.
