What Would Cubs Blockbuster Trade For Ace MacKenzie Gore Actually Cost?

The Chicago Cubs have long been expected to be one of the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline, which is now less than a week away.

Coming out of a dominant first half in which they showed real World Series potential, Chicago has every reason in the world to be relentless in making upgrades and trying to go for it all this year with a potentially limited window.

It's no secret the Cubs are after starting pitching, however the market has not yet materialized to the point where the supply has met the demand across baseball.

An interesting wrinkle has been thrown around in the last few weeks though after one team made it very clear that they were entering a new era.

The Washington Nationals are having a complete disaster of a season to the point where they fired both their manager and decision maker before the MLB draft and before the deadline.

Under a new regime, many have wondered whether they could try to try to sell high on the big breakout year for sudden star ace MacKenzie Gore. If they were to even entertain it, Chicago should be a main candidate.

How Many Prospects Would Cubs Have to Give Up for MacKenzie Gore?

Gore has posted a 3.59 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 112.2 innings this season, finally breaking out as the former top prospect he was billed up to be.

Still just 26 years old, he has two more years of arbitration before he hits the open market. Young, controllable aces do not simply get dealt, and if Gore were to be the rare exception, it would be for an absolute haul.

Fortunately for Chicago, they are as equipped -- and as needy -- as anyone to get something like this done. This is a deal however that would be felt for many years to come.

When the Nationals traded Juan Soto, they got back Gore, superstar outfielder James Wood, stud shortstop CJ Abrams and more prospects still working their way up. In order to justify trading Gore, Washington would have to feel like they were getting a similarly lopsided deal.

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No. 1 prospect Owen Caissie would just be the start. The Nationals would likely demand No. 5 prospect in right-hander Jaxon Wiggins as well, and it would not be unreasonable for them to ask for another top-ten prospect at minimum to go along with the pair.

Someone like James Triantos could be a fair option there.

Beyond at least two to three premium youngsters, Washington could also want an impact Major League player, or at least someone on their way to being just that.

What exactly the hypothetical package is does not matter so much as the fact that it would be an absolutely stunning, historic return in exchange for the services of Gore for at least the next two and a half years.

This would be a deal that would absolutely sting and borderline drain the farm system.

And still, if it could push the Cubs over the top and bring them another World Series, it would be worth every bit of it.

If Chicago believes someone like Gore is the key to winning both right now and moving forward, it's at the very least worth a phone call to see if the Nationals are willing to at minimum discuss something somewhat reasonable.