Astros now face unexpected pressure after Rangers swing bold trade for Nationals star

The Texas Rangers have been rather dormant this offseason. Sure, they swapped Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo, but for the most part, things have been rather quiet in Arlington. But the Houston Astros' in-state rival just made a bold trade that could reshape the entire AL West heading into the 2026 season.

The Rangers swung a deal with the Washington Nationals to acquire left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore. The Rangers surrendered five players in order to complete the trade, but Texas just enhanced their already dangerous starting rotation with one of the best young arms in the game.

Gore had 15 losses on the season, but that's to be expected when you're playing for one of the worst teams in the National League. The southpaw racked up 185 punch outs through 30 starts in 2025, and while his 4.17 ERA isn't exactly scary, his stuff is. Gore has a five-pitch mix that pairs a devastating curveball with a 95 mph heater. He also mixes in a slider, change up, and cutter.

Rangers pay massive price for Nats' pitcher MacKenzie Gore, and are a much bigger threat to the Astros in the AL West

Once Freddy Peralta was traded to the New York Mets, all eyes shifted to Gore as the best remaining starter on the trade market. While most experts and pundits regard the Rangers' rotation as one of their strengths, they apparently wanted to add to their coffers.

The return for Washington was a good one. The Nats recieved infielders Gavin Fien, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Abimelec Ortiz, right-handed pitcher Alejandro Rosario, and outfielder Yeremy Cabrera in exchange for what will amount to two years of Gore — and of course Texas could always look to offer him an extension.

With the former Nats' ace in the fold, Texas now boasts a rotation of Gore, Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, and Jack Leiter. The Rangers recently signed Jakob Junis as well, though it's not known if they plan to deploy him as a starter or reliever.

Astros GM Dana Brown will now have counter the Rangers' newest addition, and the best way to do so would be to address the logjam that exists on the roster. Houston has been trying to rid themselves of Christian Walker and his $40 million salary, but to no avail. The Astros may be forced to trade Isaac Paredes before the season begins, something they've been unwilling to do to this point.

If the Astros were expecting a two-team battle in the AL West — with the Seattle Mariners as their only competition — the Rangers just changed everything with this trade. Thankfully, there's plenty of time left in the offseason for the Astros to respond.