The Mets want to show that they have learned from the past and with an eye on seriously competing in the 2026 MLB season, they are exploring options to add elite talent, and the main candidate is pitcher Mackenzie Gore. However, the operation seems complicated.
While the situation with outfielder Kyle Tucker remains unresolved, the Mets have not stood idly by. The front office, led by David Stearns, has intensified its search for a star pitcher to bolster a rotation that left doubts in 2025.
According to reports from insider Pat Ragazzo, the Queens franchise has already inquired about the availability of the Washington Nationals left-hander Mackenzie Gore, one of the most attractive arms in the National League East. However, the response was not encouraging.
The big problem for Mackenzie Gore to get to New York is the cost, as Washington would be asking for a package of high-value prospects and young pieces from the Mets, which has stalled any real progress in negotiations. For now, talks do not appear to be close to materializing.
The Mets and their urgency to strengthen the starting rotation
The need for the Mets is clear. In 2025, the team gambled on high-risk solutions at the bottom of the rotation, a strategy that did not work. Injuries to Kodai Senga and inconsistency from Sean Manaea forced the team to rely on young pitchers at key moments in the season.
While Nolan McLean left a good impression in a limited sample, the rotation remains an unknown. That’s why adding an experienced and potential arm like Gore makes sporting sense for the team.
Mackenzie Gore’s numbers in 2025
The former third overall pick in the 2017 Draft will be 27 years old at the start of the 2026 campaign. He is coming off an All-Star season, although his performance dropped off in the second half. He finished the year with a 4.17 ERA, 185 strikeouts and a 1.353 WHIP in nearly 160 innings.
Gore’s appeal lies in his ability to generate strikeouts, but his overall numbers do not yet put him in the elite of the league. His career ERA is over four runs and he has shown some inconsistency. Even so, the fact that he is under club control for two more seasons increases his value to a franchise like the Mets. While from the Nationals’ perspective, there is no rush to ‘get rid’ of him. They could wait until the start of 2026 and re-evaluate his market near the trade deadline so they have the upper hand in negotiations, playing with the pressure that the Mets have been under since the departure of Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.
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