MLB Insider Says Nationals Will Aggressively Pursue Ace to Pair with MacKenzie Gore

The Washington Nationals are simultaneously in the midst of an impressive season and concerning slump.

Sitting third place in the National League East division, the Nats have surprised by being better than the Atlanta Braves, but a 3-7 stretch in the last 10 games has put a damper on the possibility of a surprising playoff run.

Sitting at 30-37, Washington is a young team that has put on somewhat of a masterclass in long-term team-building over the past few years.

Ace MacKenzie Gore has blossomed into a Cy Young contender, and a young, star-studded lineup makes them one of the most entertaining teams to watch night-in, night-out.

The most glaring need on the roster is another high-level starting pitcher to pair with Gore, but it sounds like the team may be looking to address that issue.

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Insider Says Nationals Willing to Spend to Add to Starting Rotation

MLB insider Jim Bowden, writing for The Athletic (subscription required), broke down 20 of the things he's hearing ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

His big takeaway on the Nationals was a long-term focus on finding a way to add another top-of-the-rotation arm to the organization.

"The Nationals are looking for an ace to pair with MacKenzie Gore at the top of their rotation," Bowden wrote. "That will be their priority at the trade deadline and in the offseason. It appears their ownership could be willing to spend more in the offseason to make impactful moves and start getting serious about trying to contend."

Those words should be music to Washington fans' ears.

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After the front office tore down the core and opted for frugality in letting stars and 2019 World Series heroes like Juan Soto, Trea Turner, Max Scherzer and Anthony Rendon leave the club, it would have been easy to get cynical about ownership's commitment to winning.

But those decisions, and the process, were the right ones.

Soto, Turner and Scherzer netted the Nationals immense value that has become Gore, Wood, Abrams, catcher Keibert Ruiz and other valuable pieces.

Paying this new core for their prime years will be a better investment than paying for the post-prime years of the 2019 core would have been, and it now enables the organization to spend big to support this group while the stars are still relatively cheap.

The long-term nature of this plan should also be encouraging for fans.

It would be easy to add a reliever or two to go for a playoff run this year, and the team may still do that, but trying to secure a top starter for this year and more to follow will set this group up to challenge the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East.

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Of course, it's great to have this goal, but Mike Rizzo and his staff need to follow through and land the right player now.

If they do, Washington will be a force to be reckoned with for a long time.

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