The Chicago Cubs caught a lot of flak for the way they handled the 2025 trade deadline, but a recent injury to Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore makes the decision to avoid a blockbuster deal a look a little better.
Gore was one of the many impactful starting pitchers the Cubs were rumored to be in on at the deadline. Since the southpaw has multiple years of team control and he was among the league leaders in strikeouts at the time of the deadline, it would have been an expensive trade. But it appears the Cubs were wise to avoid such a transaction because the Nationals just announced that Gore will go to the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder.