Gore, Pivetta, Phillies and Santander: MLB Mailbag Answers

The MLB Winter Meetings always buzz with rumors about the next big move. Right now, few names stir more intrigue than MacKenzie Gore.

This blog digs into why the talented but unpredictable lefty has become a prime trade chip. We’ll look at how potential deals with the Giants and Red Sox compare, and why front offices seem willing to roll the dice on his ace-level ceiling—even with an uneven track record and a bumpy injury history.

MacKenzie Gore’s Trade Market Heats Up at the Winter Meetings

As execs and agents gather to reshape rosters, MacKenzie Gore stands out as one of the most fascinating arms on the market. He’s got two years of team control left and flashes of frontline stuff, putting him right at the intersection of win-now urgency and long-term projection.

Teams know exactly what’s at stake: a lefty with the raw tools of an ace but enough volatility that trading for him is more of a calculated risk than a slam dunk.

Two Blockbuster Concepts: Giants and Red Sox as Suitors

Two hypothetical trades have really grabbed attention—one with the San Francisco Giants, another with the Boston Red Sox. Both highlight how highly Gore is valued and how steep the price might get for a club looking to bet on his upside.

Proposed packages include:

Eldridge, a towering two-way talent, and Whisenhunt, a polished lefty pitching prospect, would make for a serious prospect haul. It’s the kind of deal you only consider if you truly believe Gore can anchor a rotation for multiple Octobers.

Including Triston Casas—a former top prospect with real left-handed power—shows just how aggressive a team might need to be to land Gore. Tossing in lefty pitching prospect Connelly Early only bumps up the value. The structure of both proposals says a lot about how the industry views Gore’s peak and what teams are willing to pay for a shot at it.

A Season of Extremes: Gore’s 2024 Performance Under the Microscope

Gore’s 2024 campaign was a wild ride, and any club thinking about trading for him has to live in that gray area. He took the ball every fifth day, made 32 starts, and sometimes looked like an All-Star.

But the numbers also show a pitcher still learning how to harness his arsenal over a full season.

Mid-year, things fell apart for a while, and that’s going to make analytically-minded front offices dig deep into the video and biomechanics.

The Rough Stretch: ERA Spikes and Command Issues

The toughest stretch? A 14-start span where he posted a 6.18 ERA. During that run, his strikeout-to-walk ratio dipped, and command lapses turned promising outings into high-pitch-count grinds.

Late in the year, the pattern came back. Over his final 11 starts, Gore struggled again, putting up a 6.75 ERA and issuing more walks. Scouts and analysts aren’t questioning his stuff—it’s there—but can he keep his mechanics and pitch efficiency together for a full season?

Velocity Trends: Early Sizzle, Late Fade

Velocity tells part of the story. Early on, Gore’s fastball peaked at 96.6 mph, and when you pair that with his breaking stuff, he really looks like a top-of-the-rotation arm.

After July 1st, though, his average velocity dropped by about a mile per hour. That might not sound huge, but in today’s game, it can mean the difference between blowing hitters away and just scraping by. Teams will want to know—was this just regular seasonal fatigue, a small mechanical hiccup, or something health-related?

Injuries, Durability, and the “Ace or Tease” Question

You can’t really evaluate Gore without digging into his medical history. He’s had a few issues, but he’s managed to avoid the catastrophic injuries that can derail young arms.

Mostly, it’s been about interruptions rather than long-term shutdowns. That matters when you’re trying to project his future workload.

Blisters, Elbow Soreness, and Shoulder Inflammation

Gore’s early-career blister problems caused some concern, but those seemed to clear up after 2023. He also had minor elbow soreness in 2022 and shoulder inflammation in 2025, but neither required any major surgery.

He hasn’t had Tommy John surgery or any other big reconstructive procedure. For teams, that’s both reassuring and a little nerve-wracking—good for durability, but always that lingering “what if” about a future injury.

Why Teams Will Still Line Up for MacKenzie Gore

Despite some up-and-down outings and a few injury concerns, Gore is still exactly the kind of pitcher teams crave. He’ll turn 27 in February and has two years of team control left.

He’s already flashed moments where he looks like a true ace. That’s not something you see every day, especially in this market.

Front offices see his profile and think, “We can work with this.” With a few tweaks to his pitch mix, some better conditioning, and careful management, they’re convinced he could find more consistency.

It’s hard not to get excited about the upside. Imagine landing a lefty No. 1 or a strong No. 2 starter in his prime, and not having to give up proven big leaguers to do it.

So as the Winter Meetings roll on, you can bet MacKenzie Gore’s name will keep popping up. In a year where top arms are scarce, he’s the kind of high-upside swing that could change a franchise’s direction.

 
Here is the source article for this story: MLB Mailbag: Gore, Pivetta, Phillies, Santander