Chicago Cubs prepare shock move for All-Star starting pitcher

The July 31 MLB trade deadline is drawing near but there could still be some major moves in the pipeline.

The Chicago Cubs are flying high in the National League Central with a 62-43 record, level with the Milwaukee Brewers. They beat city rivals Chicago White Sox 6-1 last Saturday. But despite that impressive record the team’s pitching rotation has struggled this year, ranking 23rd out of 30 teams for strikeout rate (20.2%).

The Cubs are after reinforcements and may be preparing a shock move for an All-Star pitcher. Washington Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore is reportedly a target for the Cubs, just a week on from his first-ever All-Star appearance.

Gore arrived at the Nationals from the San Diego Padres, part of the huge blockbuster deal that saw Juan Soto move in the opposite direction. Gore has become a leading pitcher since signing for Washington, becoming the first player in the entire league to reach 100 strikeouts this season.

But could the Cubs afford it? Gore’s 29.3% strikeout rate is currently the sixth-best in the MLB and at 26 he still has plenty of baseball ahead of him.

The Nationals have Gore under contract until 2028 but they could look to cash in on him now, at a similar point as they did with Soto. They are not going to be challenging for a championship this season and could use a blockbuster trade to help rebuild with a new team.

As for Gore, Sportrac puts his projected next contract at $157 million. If he can get a deal that exceeds that now a move could be worth it from his point of view but it remains to be seen if the Nationals can be tempted to part with their top performer.

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