Aug 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (1) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

An Option for Yankees Outside of Freddy Peralta

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The question for the New York Yankees is whether they will pay the necessary price to obtain a front line starter. At this point, Freddy Peralta is the top prize, and according to reports, he has a ton of suitors, including both New York teams and the Dodgers.

If those two teams are in the mix for Peralta, it could be a tall task for the Yankees. The Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in baseball, and if the Mets dangle Jonah Tong or Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee, that would easily usurp whatever the Yankees have to offer. It does seem unlikely that the Mets would ship any of their top pitching prospects, but given they haven't made strides to improve their pitching, it could be a desperation move.

Where the Nationals Stand with Gore

If the Yankees do lose out on Peralta, a potential pivot from their top target could be the Washington Nationals' starter, MacKenzie Gore. Earlier in the winter, ESPN's Kiley McDaniels mentioned that Gore will be traded at some point this season. It's just a matter of whether it happens in the winter or by the trade deadline.

"Teams expect Gore to be wearing a different uniform by the end of 2026," McDaniels writes. "They just aren't sure whether a deal will happen now or at the trade deadline in July. New Washington president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has held discussions with multiple teams about Gore, but the ask is understandably high. Gore's impending free agency after 2027 complicates things somewhat."

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Gore Fit

For an aging rotation that already has Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon starting the season on the shelf, Gore can be a solid addition that would inject youth into the rotation. He wouldn't come cheap as far as prospects go, but he would make the team better immediately.

Now, Gore is no Tarik Skubal, and he's a tier below Peralta, but the one thing that he has over those two is years of control. Any team that trades for Gore has him under control this year and the next.

Gore is only 26 and has also shown he can deliver solid innings over the last two seasons. He accumulated 166.1 innings in 2024 and 159.2 in 2025.

He has unfortunately not panned out the way the Nationals had hoped when they acquired him from the Padres for Juan Soto. Last year, he pitched to a 4.17 ERA with a 4.33 expected ERA.

One thing about him, though, is that he has tremendous strikeout stuff. He has a 27.2% strike out rate. Gore also has a 29.7% whiff rate and 29.9% chase rate.

A big issue with him is the walks. With those strikeouts comes a 9.3% walk rate. He's either walking the park or striking you out.

Realistically, trading for Gore wouldn't make the Yankees a surefire favorite for the World Series. He would still be solid, though.

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