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The Washington Nationals were always likely to trade MacKenzie Gore, their excellent starting pitcher with two years left on his deal, this off-season.
And now it's done.
The Washington club's new head of baseball operations has made the decision to trade the left-handed pitcher to the Texas Rangers just a few weeks before training camp.
In return, five prospects (a big return, that is) are headed to Washington.
The Rangers will reportedly send their No. 2 prospect Gavin Fein and four other prospects to the Nationals in return for MacKenzie Gore. https://t.co/LCaUEhUYlB pic.twitter.com/U0Iq7o2EMo
– MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 22, 2026
Gavin Fein is the biggest piece heading to Washington. The shortstop was drafted 12th overall in the last draft and was the Rangers' #2 prospect.
Note that at the last draft, the Red Sox wanted Fein, who didn't make it to their pick. But Boston's draft guru was hired by the Nationals and managed to get his hands on the youngster in the end.
The Red Sox were all over Fien in the draft, Texas takes him a few spots ahead of them…then the Red Sox scouting braintrust goes to Washington and makes Fien the headliner in their biggest trade. https://t.co/Hpa9su0eZg
– Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) January 22, 2026
So the Rangers get their hands on a pitcher who will ensure that when healthy, the club's rotation will be nothing short of terrifying. Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, and Jacob Latz form an excellent pitching corps.
Will Gore be able to strike a long-term deal with the Rangers? It's doubtful, considering that the club has been cutting corners in terms of money for some time now.
Gore will earn $5.6 million this season. He's a big-time strikeout pitcher.
It should also be noted that Gore was acquired as a big prospect in the Juan Soto deal from the Padres in 2022. The fact that the Nationals had time to trade him before the club got good again is a reminder that rebuilding a club isn't easy.
- Do the Blue Jays want more pitchers?
“Now there are still a number of teams looking for starting pitching. I will list the Orioles first among those teams, they've been active in the free agent and trade markets, but you also have the Blue Jays exploring some things still…”
– Rosenthal today– Josh (@Josh_theJaysFan) January 22, 2026
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Man… just got some insider info on a MAJOR player quietly working on a position change.
If this sticks, it could reshape the entire roster.
I'm extremely curious how teams adjust around it.
This one could get interesting– Cameron Maybin (@CameronMaybin) January 22, 2026
- Framber Valdez with the Orioles?
Rival executives expect the Baltimore Orioles to be the next team to pluck a front-line starter from the free-agent market now that the New York Mets are out of the mix after acquiring Freddy Peralta.
– Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 22, 2026
- Who's the best player in MLB? Here's the top 10 in alphabetical order. We'll find out tonight who'll be at the top.
How would you rank the final ten players on the #Top100RightNow?
Find out how we line them up TONIGHT at 8pm ET! pic.twitter.com/0n84Ze8TfZ
– MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 22, 2026
This content was created with the help of AI.
