Why the Rangers Traded for MacKenzie Gore

Last year’s Rangers rotation had the best ERA in baseball. The club has both Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi returning, along with young star in the making Jack Leiter. Those three arms are fantastic, but there is going to be a large number of innings and starts that need to be accounted for in 2026.

In 2025, the trio of deGrom (30), Eovaldi (22), and Leiter (29) took the ball for 81 starts for the Rangers. For everyone who is quick with math, that was exactly half of their regular season games.

Needless to say, there has long been a need for another starter or two to fill in the gap left by the free agency of Patrick Corbin, Tyler Mahle, and Merrill Kelly.

Cody Bradford appears to be slightly ahead of schedule with his rehab from last June’s internal brace procedure. If things continue to go smoothly, he could make a return as early as sometime in May. Bradford is also a southpaw and, when healthy, should add quality depth to the rotation.

Yet, Bradford’s injury is a perfect example of why the Rangers, and every MLB team that is trying to compete, needs as much starting pitching as possible. Last year, the Rangers lost both Bradford and Jon Gray during the span of a few days in spring training.

Both were slotted to start the season in the rotation, and neither was able to start a single game for the Rangers in 2025. Injuries can and will happen, so the more quality arms in the stable, the better.

Rocker and Latz Get Relief

As the Rangers’ roster is assembled currently, it appears that Jacob Latz or Kumar Rocker will round out the rotation to start the season. Despite the name recognition of Rocker, Latz looks to be the frontrunner, as he posted fantastic numbers last year in multiple roles.

There are still several question marks around Rocker. His last game with the big league club came on July 31. Over the final two months of the season, he only pitched in two games for Triple-A Round Rock; he had one outing on August 7 and then another one that lasted only 2.1 innings on September 18.

The Rangers organization has been quiet as to what was really going on with Rocker at the end of the season. Was it mental, mechanical, physical, or some form of more than one? In any case, it will be interesting to see how he comes into spring training.

With the acquisition of Gore, there will be less pressure on both Rocker and Latz, which should free them up to compete and do their thing.

A Quality Lefty

Gore is not only a great pitcher who will add to the Rangers’ already strong rotation, but he is a near-perfect fit for what Texas needed.

Last season, only 38 Texas starts came from a lefty. Of those, Corbin, who is no longer with the team, made 30, and Latz added eight. With Latz and a healthy Bradford getting their starts on the bump, now, along with Gore, the Rangers are set to not only have a top-tier rotation, but one that is more balanced.

In 2023, the Rangers had lefties Andrew Heaney, Martín Pérez, and, after the trade deadline, Jordan Montgomery starting from the left side. During the team’s magical playoff run, pairing the righty Eovaldi with the lefty Montgomery was the perfect formula.

Daydreaming of a 2026 Rangers team that finds its offensive legs and can take a healthy rotation into the playoffs is exciting. Any combo of deGrom, Eovaldi, and Gore to open a series is formidable. With the addition of the lefty Gore toward the top of the rotation, the Rangers have increased their upside tremendously.

It is true that sometimes teams or managers can get too caught up in creating certain matchups. But keeping the opposing team on their toes and giving them different looks every game will not only be good for Gore, but it should increase the effectiveness of the righties around him as well.

Multiple Years of Control

As discussed earlier, the idea of trading away five prospects can be a lot for some to wrap their head around. But at the end of the day, they are prospects, and there is zero guarantee that they will don a major league uniform at any point in their careers.

Even if they do, good for them. There is a risk involved in making trades or even just signing free agents. Heck, just last year, the Rangers felt like they signed a world beater in Joc Pederson, only to watch him have a disastrous 2025 campaign.

Hindsight is always 20/20 when it comes to trades. But the fact that POBO Chris Young (CY) is willing to gamble a little bit is exciting.

The Rangers are moving into the back end of the deGrom, Eovaldi, and Corey Seager window. There are still plenty of young pieces on the roster, including Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, and Evan Carter, but the team is constructed to compete now.

Without the resources that some teams have, CY is forced to work on the fringes and make some bold trades that hopefully will work out. Trading for Gore is one of those moves.

It was a power play that brought in a top-tier arm and let the team keep its most coveted prospect, Sebastian Walcott. Ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect in the game by Just Baseball’s Aram Leighton, Walcott looks to be a centerpiece for the club in the not-so-distant future.

Perhaps the most important part of the equation is that Gore is not a one-year guy, but he will be under team control for the next two seasons. I get the concern about there not being a 2027 season because of a possible lockout, but having that second year in Texas for Gore will be huge if we do have an MLB season that year.

Gore Can Improve

Being the third overall selection in the 2017 draft out of high school, Gore has been highly touted for a long time. He was also a key piece in the Juan Soto trade that took him from San Diego to Washington.

The last two seasons, according to FanGraphs, Gore ranks 15th in all of baseball with 366 punchouts. He has swing and miss stuff, which plays well anywhere.

But where Gore has struggled at times, especially in the second half of last year, is with walks, hits allowed, and home runs allowed. With Globe Life Field being more of a pitcher’s park, one would assume that the home runs allowed will come down a bit naturally.

To me, the real X-factors in Gore improving over the next two seasons are reduced expectations and the veteran mentorship of both deGrom and Eovaldi.

When he was with the Nationals, he was pretty much the man for the pitching staff. That is a tall ask of such a young pitcher, especially with an inexperienced defense and a lack of consistent offensive support.

Now, Gore will be able to pitch behind two aces and will just be able to do his thing. Even though he will be pitching for a playoff contender, the pressure of the entire team’s success will not be his to bear alone.

The impact that Eovaldi can have on younger pitchers is immeasurable. DeGrom as well, but in particular, Eovaldi has shown an ability to coach up his younger teammates in order to get the most out of their talented resources. See 2025 Jack Leiter for the latest example.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, give me a front office that is aggressive over one that sits on its hands and is scared to mix it up. That aggression will lead to some misses, but it will more often than not put the Rangers in the best spot.

The fact that CY wants to win as much or more than every Rangers fan should be comforting. Is he perfect? Nope, and he is dealing with humans who are playing an extremely difficult game.

But there is no debating the fact that the Rangers are better off with Gore being a part of their team as opposed to him not. Adding top-tier pitching depth from the left side is huge. Not only will it take some pressure off the depth starters, but it will also allow the team to utilize some of them in the bullpen or to keep them fresh in Triple-A.

Reinforcing a strength like the rotation is a smart move. You can never have too much good pitching. Just ask the reigning World Series champion Dodgers, who rolled out starter after starter in Game 7 in order to get the game to the finish line.

Rangers fans, for the most part, are and should be excited about having Gore. Great starting pitching is fun, and barring a ton of injuries, there should be plenty of it to go around in Arlington this season.