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Nationals Not Planning To Trade From Young Core At Deadline

By Mark Polishuk | July 20, 2025 at 9:35am CDT

It has been two weeks since the Nationals sent shockwaves through the organization by firing longtime president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez.  The timing of the shake-up (a week before the draft and within a month of the trade deadline) caught many by surprise, though it looks like the change in leadership won’t lead to any major changes in direction for the club’s deadline plans.  Interim GM Mike DeBartolo told the Washington Post’s Andrew Golden and other reporters on Saturday that the Nats want to build around such players as James Wood, CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, and MacKenzie Gore, rather than shop them at the deadline.

“I’m looking to keep the young, core group of our best players together,” DeBartolo said.  “Certainly [with] my job, if someone calls, you always listen to what they have to say.  But trading away our really high-quality young players is not something I’m looking to do right now.”

DeBartolo made a point of including Gore within “that group in terms of our young, really talented players,” noting that it’s “not a focus of mine to move him.”  Gore is both slightly older (26) and closer to free agency than the other members of the core, as Gore has two more arbitration-eligible years remaining before hitting the open market after the 2027 season.

Because of this timeline and the fact that Gore is represented by Scott Boras, there has been speculation that the Nationals could shop Gore if they feel they won’t be able to sign the southpaw to a long-term extension.  Selling high on Gore while he is in the midst of a career year would likely bring a big return back to Washington, as Gore would instantly become perhaps the most sought-after player at the deadline.  On the other hand, as Golden writes, “moving out Gore also would send the message that the Nationals are taking a step back and aren’t ready to contend in the near future.”

[Related: Washington Nationals Trade Deadline Outlook, for MLBTR Front Office subscribers]

The same logic applies to an even greater extent to Abrams (controlled through 2028) and Wood and Crews (each controlled through 2030).  Trading from this group would be tantamount to restarting the rebuild altogether, which doesn’t seem feasible for a team that already hasn’t had a winning season since 2019.  Though DeBartolo has been with the organization since 2012, it also doesn’t appear likely that an interim GM would make the call to deal a building block player, as such a major decision would likely be saved for whomever the Nationals eventually name as the new full-time head of baseball operations.

“My goal in this role, whether it’s interim or otherwise, is to build a competitive team every year,” DeBartolo said.  “As frustrating as it is to see where we are this year, my goal is to build future competitive teams and be in that playoff mix. So that’s what my focus is over the next few weeks — whatever we can do to bolster the future outlook of the Nationals and get in that playoff race as soon as we can.”

This focus likely means that the Nationals will be looking to move shorter-term players who aren’t part of that longer-term future.  Unsurprisingly, the Nats have made impending free agents Kyle Finnegan, Josh Bell, Michael Soroka, and Amed Rosario available in trade talks, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes, and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (who is arb-controlled through 2026) is also within that group of trade chips.  Finnegan and Soroka will likely garner the most attention given how many contenders need pitching help, and the Nats figure to be a team to watch as one of the few teams in full-fledged sell mode.

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Washington Nationals CJ Abrams Dylan Crews James Wood MacKenzie Gore Mike DeBartolo

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View Comments (37)
Post a Comment

37 Comments

  1. 99Captain Judge99

    2 months ago

    Yes, and nor should they.

    9
    Reply
    • O'sSayCanYouSee

      2 months ago

      Gore and Abrams, trade…keep the young bats.

      Gore for an MLB ready arm with 5+ years control to realign the windows of the core team. (Andrew Painter, Bubba Chandler, Chase Burnes types).

      Trade to move the window 1 year further out, but 3-4 years longer. Grow the window!

      2
      Reply
      • ThatsIT?

        2 months ago

        Do you have any bitcoin? I’m have some other coins that are just starting out but there’s lots of potential in all 5 of them could even turn into the next bitcoin. Are you interested? If not why.

        Reply
        • O'sSayCanYouSee

          2 months ago

          ThatsIT — So the Nationals shouldn’t have traded their Soto-bitcoin in the first place?

          Reply
        • SgtGrumbles

          2 months ago

          The Nationals should have never given Strasburg the money and given it plus more to Soto after the World Series. That was the real whiff.

          Reply
        • ThatsIT?

          2 months ago

          Way to avoid the question. If you don’t know why those two situations are different you aren’t smart enough to have this conversation

          Reply
    • stymeedone

      2 months ago

      @99Cpt Judge
      Not exactly a shocker. They could write the same headline for any rebuilding team. Contenders will look for short term fixes and Rebuilders will look for foundation posibilities.

      Reply
  2. jdgoat

    2 months ago

    There’s no point to trade any of them yet, unless they are absolutely robbing somebody in a trade. They still haven’t supplemented them with meaningful big league talent.

    3
    Reply
    • padrepapi

      2 months ago

      I think they should look to extend Gore, Abrams & Wood. Their books are near bare and those guys are all young, productive and worth keeping beyond their current control.

      Gore – 5/100m, buys out 3 FA years. More years/money might be required but that’s where I’d start.

      Abrams – maybe 8/135m, buy out 5 FA years. It might be a gamble, pun intended, giving him a big bag, but such a talented player that will always be an up the middle player so I’d do it at that price.

      Wood – 12/225m, throw in some incentives if he turns into the best player in the world.

      That’s 460m or in the ballpark of what they last offered Soto.

      Dylan Cease would be a great addition for them in free agency to pair with Gore atop the rotation.

      2
      Reply
      • choof

        2 months ago

        All of them would be getting far larger contracts

        Reply
  3. Easy as 1 2 3

    2 months ago

    I would, esp from your surplus of young OF. See if you can get some pitching back. Wood is off limits but the others could be packaged to bring back some cost controlled pitching.

    Crews
    Wood
    Young
    Call
    Lile

    Mariners make sense as someone who could use a boost in LF and cheap

    Alex Call is hitting .279/.377/.385 good for OPS+ of 120. Comes with 4 more years of control. Mariners could find some pitching like Brandyn Garcia lefty reliever and Marcelo Perez righty starter. Both having good seasons down in the minors and are near mlb readiness.

    Reply
    • Can we please get a DH?

      2 months ago

      Mariners have Randy Arozarena in LF… Call as a righty platoon member to play opposite Canzone/Raley in RF could make sense though for mid tier prospect.

      3
      Reply
      • good vibes only

        2 months ago

        There is no more room for yet another platoon bat on the M’s roster. If the M’s trade it should be for someone who locks down an everyday role.

        2
        Reply
        • Can we please get a DH?

          2 months ago

          The M’s have a need to replace the weakside platoon production that they are getting from Moore and/or Solano.

          I’m certainly not saying that they should give up much for an effective 4th OFer, especially given Robles will be back at some point. But adding Call would help their lineup against LHP which is lack luster.

          Reply
    • Mets Era Thumping Soto

      2 months ago

      Alex Call is 30 and not apart of their core. I think you misinterpreted them not trading young core with them not trading at all.

      4
      Reply
    • Sideline Redwine

      2 months ago

      need a boost in LF? Have you seen what Randy has been doing the past few weeks?

      1
      Reply
    • Zippy the Pinhead

      2 months ago

      Easy @Easy. All-star Arozarena is currently killing it in LF. Canzone and Railey are doing great in RF. Outfielders are not the problem. No good fit with the Nats because Josh Bell is past his prime, which, come to think of it, didn’t last very long.

      Reply
      • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

        2 months ago

        We don’t need any more outfielders unless we are acquiring Ronald acuna Jr since we already have Julio and Randy and victor robles is supposed to come back soon

        Reply
        • Can we please get a DH?

          2 months ago

          Robles returning would definitely help fill the RHH role we need with Moore looking dizzy at the plate lately. I just haven’t heard anything on his rehab for a while, so not sure if he will come in time to help this year.

          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          2 months ago

          I’m sure there are a good 20-30 outfielders in the Majors you would be elated to be traded to the Mariners.

          Reply
  4. 13Morgs13

    2 months ago

    Yep and water is wet…

    Reply
  5. Dock_Elvis

    2 months ago

    Nope dont deal. This team came in with a dark horse upside. Maybe not playoff type. And it could just click and they’ll improve. Theres just no reason to keep churning. And much of it also is they need something to sell their fans.

    1
    Reply
  6. ThatsIT?

    2 months ago

    Oh a team with an interim gm isn’t going to make any franchise altering trades weird.

    1
    Reply
  7. TheFuzzofKing

    2 months ago

    Hugging Gore is a blunder.

    3
    Reply
    • Armaments216

      2 months ago

      Sure, Gore’s value will never be higher. But what the Nats need most is pitching. Unless the return includes near-ready high upside pitching, trading Gore just digs a deeper hole for fielding a competitive team around the rest of their young core.

      Reply
      • Wadz

        2 months ago

        The young core flopped. Team isn’t coming near .500 while Gore is under control

        Reply
        • Armaments216

          2 months ago

          If they believe the young core is a flop they might as well trade their other arb players like Abrams and Garcia. Assuming that’s not the thinking, they need to do a lot more spending this offseason.

          Reply
      • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

        2 months ago

        I would compare trading gore to trading Paul skenes because it’s a debate of trading what you need for more needs or keeping him but losing him in free agency

        The nats should try to extend gore but if they still suck during his final contract year then they trade him

        2
        Reply
      • Rally Goose

        2 months ago

        What.the Nats need most is *controllable” pitching. Gore has the same amount of club control right now that Soto had when they traded him.

        Reply
      • Prospectnvstr

        2 months ago

        Gore’s was definitely of NEGATIVE value today.

        Reply
  8. James Midway

    2 months ago

    If they did I think the current GM would also be fired.

    Reply
  9. beyou02215

    2 months ago

    I’d listen a bit on Gore because pitchers. But I’d need an absolute haul. The others? No way.

    Reply
  10. Dock_Elvis

    2 months ago

    The potential blessing in disguise of Rizzo being let go two weeks before the draft is that it left more of their baseball people and scouts in the room…and the GM wasnt there to talk them out of moves to save his job. It means more risky decisions…but coming from the deep evaluator.

    Mike Trout would have been a Mariner at #2 if Jack Z hadnt talked his scouts out of it

    Reply
  11. nanyuanb

    2 months ago

    Listen to offers that Reinforce the pitching. The fielders have good potential so Nats can stay put there. Maybe deal from the surplus of OFs and the pending FAs. But the trading chips are not good enough to bring back touted pitching prospects, so don’t rule out Gore.

    Reply
  12. carlos15

    2 months ago

    The Rizzo trade of Soto for Gore, Abrams, Wood, Susanna, Hassell could go down as one of the greatest franchise trades in baseball history. 3 are already All-Stars and cornerstone players and the other 2 have the potential to be.

    Reply
  13. NotAngelHernandez

    2 months ago

    From the article: “Selling high on Gore while he’s in the midst of a career year would likely bring a big return to Washington”

    Based on the way the phrase “sell high” is typically used in baseball, you’d think Gore is a journeyman having a fluke season—someone to trade before he comes back down to earth.

    That’s not the case here.

    MacKenzie Gore is 26 years old and has improved steadily each season. He was always projected to be this good—if not better—and there’s every reason to believe he’s entering his prime, not peaking early. Selling him now would be selling a player on the rise, not one playing above his head.

    Also, let’s stop pretending the Nationals are a small-market franchise. Last I checked, Washington, D.C. is the eighth-largest media market in the country. This team has no massive contracts on the books, no superstar salaries eating up payroll. They absolutely have the financial flexibility to outbid other clubs and re-sign Gore without even approaching the luxury tax threshold.

    Isn’t the whole point of a rebuild to develop your own stars, keep them around, and build a contender? If the Nats aren’t going to invest in a 26-year-old frontline arm they developed and who’s still improving, what exactly are they rebuilding for?

    Reply
  14. angt222

    1 month ago

    WSH should trade Gore. Dude had injury and control issues in the past. Nice to see he’s broke out with Nats but with only two more years of control, Nats going to need to pay up to keep him. Probably better off loading up the farm with more talent.

    Reply

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