Rangers Just Pulled Off the Decade's Most Savage Heist – Snatching an All-Star Ace for a Haul of Prospects While Everyone Else Slept

The Texas Rangers Acquire Mackenzie Gore in Blockbuster Trade

The Texas Rangers have made a blockbuster trade to acquire Mackenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals.

The Return Package

The Rangers paid a steep price to get Gore. Giving up several high prospects, including N0.2 prospect Gavin Fien, No.6 prospect Alejandro Rosario, No.12 Devin Fitz-Gerald, No.16 Yeremy Cabrera, and No.18 Abimelec Ortiz.

It hurts to lose Fien, as the Rangers selected him in the first round last year. Additionally, Fitz-Gerald has gotten off to a hot start in his professional career.

Rosario has flashed brilliance in the minor leagues, but Tommy John surgery sidelined him for 2025. The Nationals likely won’t see him pitch again until 2027.

Cabrera is a bit of an unknown. He is a 20-year-old in Single A who hit .256 with eight home runs and 52 RBIs. However, he did steal 43 bases last year, and his speed is his highest graded tool according to MLB.com.

Despite being the lowest-rated prospect in the deal, Ortiz is a name that most Rangers fans know. He is known for his power, which is his highest tool at 55. He has a chance to break into the Major Leagues for the Nationals this year.

Mackenzie Gore

Gore earned an All-Star nod last season, posting a 4.17 ERA with 185 strikeouts against 64 walks and three WAR in 159.2 innings.

Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but they don’t tell the whole story. He was good in the first half with a 3.22 ERA. But struggled in the second half, posting a 5.68 ERA.

The Rangers will need to get him back to his first-half self, and he will not need to carry the rotation in Texas. He joins a talented rotation led by Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom. Former Vanderbilt teammates Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker will likely be the other guys in the back end of the rotation.

The Last Word

This move gives the Rangers’ rotation a big boost and makes the unit one of the most talented in the American League. Eovaldi and deGrom are front-end pitchers, Leiter enjoyed a breakout last year, and Rocker is very talented. If they can live up to their potential and Gore can pitch like his first-half self, then they will be dangerous.