The Texas Rangers are acquiring All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore in a five-for-one trade with the Washington Nationals, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
The Nationals will receive a handful of prospects from the Rangers, including 18-year-old third baseman Gavin Fien, who was the 12th overall pick in last year’s amateur draft.
Gore, who has two years of team control left, will make an estimated $4.7 million in 2026 and could help the front end of the Rangers’ rotation. After an All-Star first half for the Nationals in 2025, he slumped to a 6.75 ERA in the second half and finished the season at 5-15 with a 4.17 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 159⅔ innings over 30 starts.
He was the No. 3 pick in the 2017 draft but didn’t find big league success until 2024. Gore, who turns 27 in Februrary, has been solid the past two years, ranking 23rd in pitcher WAR in that span, but hasn’t quite made the jump to front-line starter that some envisioned years ago.
Gore throws at least 80% fastball/slider to lefties and at least 80% fastball/curveball to righties, so developing a fourth viable pitch shape could be key.
Overall, he is 26-41 with a 4.19 ERA in four seasons.
In addition to Fien, the Nationals will also receive right-hander Alejandro Rosario, first baseman Abimelec Ortiz, shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald and outfielder Yeremy Cabrera in the deal, sources told ESPN.
The trade was first reported by the New York Post.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.
