The Red Sox have added some pieces this offseason, but nothing that moves the needle. With the Blue Jays and Orioles both making significant upgrades, Boston needs to answer.
According to Just Baseball’s Ethan Hyatt, that answer could come in the form of MacKenzie Gore, the Nationals’ All-Star lefty who’s reportedly available.
“The stars seem to be aligning for the Red Sox to make another big move and pursue one of the top trade candidates in baseball in MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals,” Hyatt wrote. “Boston only won one playoff game in 2025, and they don’t seem happy settling for this at all.”
Gore’s 2025 numbers tell an interesting story. He finished with a 4.17 ERA across 159 innings, striking out 185 batters but carrying a 1.353 WHIP that suggests some control issues.
But here’s what makes Gore intriguing: his first half was legitimately excellent.
Through the All-Star break, Gore posted a 3.08 ERA with 138 strikeouts. That’s front-of-the-rotation production from a 26-year-old lefty who’s still developing.
The Red Sox have the prospect capital to make this happen. More importantly, they’ve got Andrew Bailey running their pitching development. Bailey worked wonders with multiple starters last season, helping guys like Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford take significant steps forward.
Give Bailey a full offseason and spring training with Gore? That could be the difference between a 4.17 ERA pitcher and a legitimate ace.
The Red Sox are running out of time to make their move. The division’s getting tougher, and their fans are getting restless after years of middling results.
Gore represents exactly the type of calculated risk Boston should be taking – young enough to grow, talented enough to impact, and available at a time when the Sox need to prove they’re serious about competing.
