TheTexas Rangerslanded the most coveted arm remaining on the trade market when they acquiredMacKenzie Gorefrom theWashington Nationalsin exchange for five prospects, the clubs announced Jan. 22.
Gore, 26, earned his first All-Star nod in 2025, and while he faded a bit in the second half, still possesses one of the most dominant left-handed arms in the game. He established career highs in strikeouts (185) and strikeouts per inning (10.4) last season for Washington.
Part of the return package includes shortstop Gavin Fien, as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 draft joins theNo. 1 overall, Eli Willits, in Washington's system.
The Rangers finished last season 81-81, their second consecutive non-winning season since taking the 2023 World Series. They traded second baseman Marcus Semien to theNew York Mets, non-tendered slugger Adolis Garcia and have been relatively quiet this offseason otherwise.
Now, they can slot Gore between the right-handers Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom atop the rotation, giving them a potentially dominant starting pitching look.
That's assuming Gore, whose fastball reaches 98 mph, cleans up some of his peripherals. He posted a 1.35 WHIP last season and walked 3.6 batters per nine innings. Yet after thetrade of Freddy Peraltafrom Milwaukee to the New York Mets Jan. 21, Gore was the clear-cut best remaining arm on the trade market - and he comes with two years of club control before becoming eligible for free agency.
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Gore joined Washington as one of the centerpieces of the blockbuster 2022 deal that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. While the trade worked out splendidly for the Nationals, with Gore, shortstop CJ Abrams and slugger James Wood emerging as foundational pieces, the Nationals lost 91, 91 and 96 games in the three full seasons since that deal.
Their most recent struggles preceded thefiring of manager Dave Martinez and longtime GM Mike Rizzo. Now, the original rebuilding structure is getting torn down as new GM Paul Toboni tries to construct a winner anew.
In addition to Fien, a high school draftee from Temecula, Calif., the Nationals will receive right-hander Alejandro Rosario, a 24-year-old who sat out all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. Abimelec Ortiz (Class AAA outfielder, 23), Devin Fitz-Gerald (Class A infielder, 20) and Yeremy Cabrera (Class A outfielder, 20) are also headed to Washington.
MacKenzie Gore trade details
Texas Rangers receive:
LHP MacKenzie Gore
Washington Nationals receive:
SS Gavin Fien
RHP Alejandro Rosario
1B/OF Abimelec Ortiz
INF Devin Fitz-Gerald
OF Yeremy Cabrera
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Andruw Jones of the Atlanta Braves looks on during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colo. on Sept. 12, 1996. Andruw Jones played 17 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Braves, from his debut in 1996 until his last MLB game in 2012, also playing for the Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, and Yankees, before finishing his career in Japan in 2013." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Andruw Jones hits a home run during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on July 7, 2012. Jones was with the Yankees for two years hitting 27 home runs." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:MacKenzie Gore trade to Rangers details as Washington deals All-Star
