Three Reasons Why Rangers Had to Make Trade for MacKenzie Gore

The Texas Rangers made another big splash at a heavy cost.

New Texas Rangers starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore throws. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

In an effort to decrease their payroll, the Texas Rangers had been relatively quiet this offseason. That changed on Thursday when the Rangers sent five prospects to the Washington Nationals in exchange for starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

It's a high cost for Texas, as the package being dealt is highlighted by their 2025 first-round pick Gavin Fien, and pitcher Alejandro Rosario. However, Gore still has two years left of team control, and at 26 years old, there is a lot of untapped potential that the Rangers feel they can unlock.

While Gore came with an expensive price tag, there are still plenty of reasons why the Rangers made this trade for the former National.

The Rangers Needed a Left-Handed Starting Pitcher

Gore pitches in the first inning against the Miami Marlins. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

One of the underlying needs that Texas had to address was the lack of left-handed pitchers available in the starting rotation. Last year, Patrick Corbin and Jacob Latz were the lone lefties who made starts. Corbin is currently a free agent, and Latz is better served as a long reliever or spot start guy.

Cody Bradford is expected to return in May, but his injury history makes him less dependable. Bringing in Gore perfectly addresses that issue. Against left-handed hitters in 2025, Gore had 54 strikeouts and 14 walks.

The Rangers needed some extra stability in the rotation, and Gore can do that, making at least 30 starts in each of the last two seasons. Lefties are valued quite a bit, and Texas was able to acquire one of the most coveted arms this winter.

Gore Has a High Ceiling

As mentioned earlier, there is so much untapped potential with Gore. Many people will look at his 5-15 record and 4.17 ERA, and begin to raise questions. However, there is a lot more to the story. ERA is becoming less valued today, and the strikeout is taking precedence.

As Thomas Harrigan of mlb.com noted, "Just look at Dylan Cease, who just landed a seven-year, $210 million deal from the Blue Jays even though he had an ERA over 4.50 in two of the past three years." Gore is a strikeout machine, posting 180+ punchouts in the last two seasons.

Gore generated a 29.7% whiff rate and 27.7% strikeout rate, which ranked just outside the top 10 among qualifiers, per baseballsavant.mlb.com. He features a four-pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. All of them are equally effective, as each pitch generates a 35% whiff rate or higher.

The biggest issue Gore deals with is his command. He walked 64 batters last season, which ranked in the top 15 in baseball. Gore's high volume of strikeouts and walks can often shorten his starts. He also struggled in the first inning, posting a 6.90 ERA in the opening frame.

Luckily, the Rangers didn't give out a lot of free passes last season, walking the sixth fewest batters in the league. If the coaching staff can make some changes, Gore could become more effective.

The Rangers Have One of the Best Rotations in Baseball

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws the ball. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

President of baseball operations Chris Young has assembled an elite starting rotation when healthy. With Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi spearheading the rotation, Gore slides in as the third option, with Jack Leiter and possibly Kumar Rocker filling it out.

It's important to have starting pitching depth throughout the season. If the Rangers can make it back to the playoffs, it's hard to make a case for a better trio in baseball to march into October with. Manager Skip Schumaker will not have a shortage of options this season.

Of course, Texas finding success this year is predicated on the offense overcoming its struggles from last season. While Brandon Nimmo will certainly help, they need a couple more players to step up if the Rangers want to return to playing October baseball.

---