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Opening Day is less than two weeks away, which means more teams will start naming their opening day starters.
The Washington Nationals have just announced who they will hand the ball to on March 27 when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies at home.
The team's social media account posted that MacKenzie Gore will be the team's Opening Day starter.
This news does not come as any surprise since Gore is the best pitcher on the staff. There might have been some discussion about giving the ball to Jake Irvin for Game 1, but Gore was the easy and correct choice.
Last season, the left-handed pitcher made 32 starts, threw 166.1 innings, allowed 171 hits and owned a WHIP of 1.419. More positively, though, his FIP of 3.53 was lower than his ERA of 3.90, and his ERA+ was above average at 103 with a K/9 ratio of 9.8.
The former first-round pick has thrown just two games in spring training, but he has had success.
In his 8.1 innings, Gore has struck out 10 batters, allowed just four hits while also walking four batters. Still, he has shown a lot of improvement this spring.
The Nationals are not a team that expects to contend, but they have the tools in place to be good in the very near future.
Having Gore become the true ace of their pitching staff would be a huge step in the right direction.
The pitching matchup for Opening Day is now set as Gore will square off with Zack Wheeler in a day game at Nationals Park.
More must-reads:
- Braves stick to status quo in naming next manager
- Baseball Hall of Fame announces eight names on Era Committee ballot
- The 'World Series single-game K leaders' quiz
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Why the Phillies could ditch Alec Bohm and target Rays star Junior Caminero
Entering the offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies must shake things up after running mostly the same roster back for three consecutive years and suffering three straight exits short of the World Series. But Philadelphia seems more likely to make a trade than sign a big-name free agent this offseason. First baseman Bryce Harper ($27.5M in 2026, per Spotrac), SS Trea Turner ($27.3M) and RHPs Zack Wheeler ($42M) and Aaron Nola ($24.6M) take up a huge amount of the payroll, so the Phillies may seek cost-effective options in the trade market. Could 22-year-old Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero be an option for the Phillies? Phillies are likely to trade All-Star Alec Bohm this offseason For the past couple of offseasons, Philadelphia has been rumored to be in the market to trade 2024 All-Star third baseman Bohm, who is coming off a down power season (11 HR, 49 RBI). With one year left on his deal before he becomes a free agent, Bohm probably will be jettisoned by the Phillies, who are projected by Spotrac to offer him $10.25M in arbitration. Philadelphia could better use that money to re-sign designated hitter Kyle Schwarber or catcher J.T. Realmuto. Bohm batted .287 in 120 games last season but could benefit from a change of scenery to get him back on track to where he was in 2024 (97 RBI and 44 doubles). Phillies, Rays could make a deal With Bohm unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster, Philadelphia probably will find another option. Pending free agent Alex Bregman (18 HR, .273 BA) may not return to the Boston Red Sox. He's a fit for the Phillies, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. But Bregman would command a high salary, as would Seattle's Eugenio Suárez, who also is a pending free agent. Feinsand listed the Angels, Mariners and Pirates as fits for the 34-year-old, who had 49 homers and a .228 batting average last season. Debuting at 19 in 2023, Caminero was an injury replacement All-Star in 2025 and would fit in perfectly with the Phillies. He could be the cleanup hitter the team has lacked and provide needed protection for Harper. Caminero — who is set to make $820,000 in 2026, according to Spotrac — has plenty of power (45 HR, sixth in big leagues in 2025) and hit for a decent average, .264, last season. “There's no denying his talent, and what he can cover in and off the plate away is just amazing to me," Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Caminero, according to Adam Berry of MLB.com. Acquiring Caminero would likely cost the Phillies one or two of their top prospects and a big-league player. The Phillies have the prospect capital and major league talent to get a deal like this done — if they’re willing to pull the trigger.
Matt LaFleur spills the beans on what the Packers really plan to do ahead of the NFL trade deadline
The Green Bay Packers don't tend to be the most active team ahead of trade deadlines. Since general manager Brian Gutekunst took over in 2018, he's never acquired a player in the week leading up to the deadline — on the other hand, he's sold Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Ty Montgomery, Rasul Douglas, and Preston Smith. However, Gutekunst did consider some trades — most notably, wide receiver Will Fuller back in 2020. Ultimately, the price requested by the Houston Texans wasn't right. This is mostly how the Packers will process things ahead of Tuesday's deadline. The roster is good enough The Packers already made two trades right before the season, acquiring Micah Parsons and Darian Kinnard. Asked about potential moves on Monday, head coach Matt LaFleur mentioned that the team doesn't need to add more players to be competitive, but the front office is making sure to evaluate opportunities. "I don't think so, not necessarily," LaFleur said about the need to add pieces. "I know Gutey and the rest of the guys upstairs are doing a great job of looking for things that could potentially help us, and if the right decision is there, I’ve got full confidence he’ll make it." Gutekunst and LaFleur have a close relationship, and the big roster decisions go through both of them, even though the GM has the final call. "We're in constant communication about everything," LaFleur added. While cornerback and defensive tackle were arguably the biggest needs on the roster, the tight end room also became thin with Tucker Kraft's season-ending knee injury. Right now, the only two TEs on the roster are Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick — Josh Whyle is on the practice squad and could be promoted or elevated. The trade deadline is at 3 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Don't expect big moves from the Packers, but something might happen — and as always, only if the price is right. This article was originally published on A to Z Sports Green Bay, as "Matt LaFleur spills the beans on what the Packers really plan to do ahead of the NFL trade deadline."
Packers linked to trade for former All-Pro to replace Kenny Clark
The Packers could look to upgrade the defense ahead of the NFL trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, especially after Panthers running back Rico Dowdle paved the way to Carolina upsetting Green Bay Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. Dowdle’s 130 yards and two touchdowns was the catalyst to an upset win over the Packers, but also served to further expose one of Green Bay’s most glaring weaknesses along the front seven. Could Packers trade for Calais Campbell? If general manager Brian Gutekunst is working the phones in hopes of replacing the run-stuffing interior lineman the Packers traded away in Kenny Clark as part of the Micah Parsons blockbuster this past summer, Calais Campbell could be an ideal fit. Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, Pro Football Focus lists the Packers as one of Campbell’s best fits and possible trade destinations. "Even at 39, Campbell has still been an above-average player for the Cardinals this season," Bradley Locker writes for PFF. "He’s on track for a 15th straight year with a 71.0-plus overall PFF grade, and has been a well-rounded addition for Arizona’s new-look defense. Campbell has generated 11 pressures while also producing a 70.0 PFF run-defense grade. "The Cardinals’ promising start has taken a wayward turn for the worst, one that doesn’t seem especially salvageable. With Campbell at his age and on a one-year deal, shipping him away — particularly to pave the way for playing time for younger players — could be logical. Kansas City’s 28.8 run-defense grade by interior defenders is the lowest in the NFL, and a reunion in Jacksonville isn’t out of the question." So far this season, Campbell — who boasts 113.5 sacks through 18 seasons — has three sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He is still playing at a high level despite his advanced age and the trajectory of the Cardinals’ 2025 campaign. Arizona’s season has quickly fallen off a cliff, but Campbell could have the chance to chase a Super Bowl ring if the Packers pull off a trade. He would immediately become a key piece along defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s front seven.
Jerry Jones reveals Cowboys made surprise trade ahead of MNF vs. Cardinals
During an appearance on SiriusXM, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Dallas made a trade Monday. However, Jones reportedly refused to reveal who the Cowboys had acquired. “Cowboys owner Jerry Jones @SIRIUSXM just said Dallas has made a trade and could possibly make a couple of more before tomorrow’s deadline,” The Athletic‘s Jon Machota wrote on X. “He declined to share who is involved in the trade. Jones: ‘Immediately it will have him on the field and it will address some of the things that have been our shortcomings.'” The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. With a 3-4-1 record, the Cowboys are a middling NFL team this season thus far. Perhaps a trade could help the Cowboys hit their stride as they head into the back half of the season. Nonetheless, many Cowboys fans expressed their anxieties online about Jones’ comments. In fairness, Jones left fans shell-shocked earlier this fall when he traded star EDGE Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, in exchange for two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. “We have two kinds of capital or currency in the NFL,” Jerry Jones said at the time. “One of them is draft picks. The other is the financial because every team is limited to the same amount of resources to spend, and having said that, Micah enabled us to have four, possibly as many as six players, for the future. That’s a good trade when you need numbers. I’ll take the numbers every time.” As of this report, it’s not only unclear who the Cowboys traded for, but what they gave up in the deal. The team needs defensive assets. The Cowboys are allowing 404.6 yards per game, the second-most in the NFL, only better than the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Arizona Cardinals are entering Monday’s contest on a five-game losing streak, Dallas shouldn’t overlook the matchup. The Cardinals have lost their last five games by a combined 13 points. Moreover, the Cardinals held fourth-quarter leads in all five games. If Dallas isn’t prepared on Monday, Arizona will be ready to pounce on the opportunity. The Cowboys and Cardinals will square off at 7:15 p.m. CT on Monday. The game will air live on ABC and ESPN. Dallas fans will keep their ears peeled for any mention of a new name on their team’s roster.
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