Nationals’ 26-year old outfielder could be next player traded away after MacKenzie Gore originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Washington Nationals made a big trade Thursday, sending MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers for five prospects.

If they aren’t done dealing, there’s another player the Nats have that the rest of the league wants.

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, 26-year old outfielder Jacob Young is drawing interest from around the league.

“The Nationals’ Jacob Young is a popular trade target among teams seeking to upgrade in center field, but it’s unclear whether Washington will move him,” they write.

Young is known as a phenomenal defensive centerfielder. His bat leaves a bit to be desired, but with his athleticism, teams likely believe he can continue to grow as a hitter.

“Young is under club control for four more seasons, and could fit in an outfield/DH rotation with Dylan Crews, Daylen Lile and James Wood, and possibly Robert Hassell III,” The Athletic writes. “The Nationals believe those players and others might improve with the instruction they will receive under the team’s new regime. But of course, club officials viewed Gore similarly and ended up trading him anyway.”

The Nationals’ decision to trade Gore away at least gives some idea into what they might be thinking. He had two years of club control left. 

The Nats would clearly like to contend sooner rather than later, but that move suggests they’re looking a bit more out into the future.

Given that Young still has four years of club control, he might not be traded at all. But the reporting shows that other teams would like him, and given that Washington has a lot of young outfielders, maybe it would be a way to reallocate resources.