{"id":113052,"date":"2026-01-28T20:44:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T01:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=113052"},"modified":"2026-01-28T20:44:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T01:44:27","slug":"texas-rangers-enter-win-now-era-with-mackenzie-gore-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/28\/texas-rangers-enter-win-now-era-with-mackenzie-gore-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Rangers Entering a Win-Now Era By Adding Gore"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Texas Rangers shook up the MLB world when they traded for MacKenzie Gore<\/a> last week. They ended up trading five prospects for the young lefty, headlined by their 2025 first-round pick Gavin Fien<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By surrendering five prospects for Gore, the Rangers made one thing clear: they\u2019re done waiting.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sep 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (1) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Texas Rangers in Win-Now Mode After MacKenzie Gore Trade<\/h2>\n

Adding to a Strength\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Rangers are adding Gore to a pitching staff that had an MLB-best 3.47 ERA last year. It is headlined by Nathan Eovaldi<\/a> and Jacob deGrom<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eovaldi<\/span> is coming off a year where he posted a 1.73 ERA and had 129 strikeouts in 130 innings while posting a 4.3 WAR. He would have been an All-Star, but he missed a few games due to injury. Despite missing that time, he was still able to win 11 games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DeGrom was impressive in his own right. He won the American League Comeback Player of the Year after working his way back from Tommy John surgery. He was also an All-Star and pitched the most innings in his career since 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2025, <\/span>deGrom<\/span> pitched to a 2.97 ERA in 172 2\/3 innings with 185 strikeouts. He posted a 2.9 WAR with 12 wins and showed that he is still one of the best pitchers in baseball.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gore will likely slot into the third spot in the rotation. This will put less pressure on him and could lead to him being more consistent throughout the year instead of having the pressure of being the team\u2019s ace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Mackenzie Gore makes the Rangers instant contenders if he pitches to his potential<\/p>\n

Presented by @SeatGeek<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iU5oCkcGCy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) January 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n