Rangers trade Gavin Fien among five prospects to Nationals for 26-year-old LHP

The Texas Rangers have added a left-handed pitcher following a major trade with the Washington Nationals, sending five prospects, including Gavin Fien, to acquire MacKenzie Gore, who posted a 4.17 ERA last season.

The deal was first reported by Jon Heyman, who wrote, “Breaking: MacKenzie Gore traded to Rangers,” on X. It quickly became one of the most impactful trade stories of the day, especially with Texas parting ways with a third-base prospect who could have played a significant role in the team’s future.

According to Robert Murray on X, the Rangers sent Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario, Abimelec Ortiz, Devin Fitz-Gerald, and Yeremy Cabrera to Washington in exchange for Gore.

Was it a good or bad idea to let Gavin Fien go?

The Rangers parted ways with the No. 2–ranked prospect in their farm system, a player they drafted in 2025 and viewed as one of the organization’s future cornerstones. According to Talkin’ Baseball on X, none of the prospects sent to Washington are currently ranked inside MLB’s Top 100.

“What you need to know about new Nats prospect Gavin Fien: 12th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. He demolished top prep arms the summer before his senior year, posting a 1.262 OPS. Analytics people love him for his strong plate discipline and bat speed,” Paul Cubbage wrote on X (@PaulCubbage23).

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Fien isn’t the only name drawing attention. Jeff Passan also pointed out that another prospect included in the Gore deal is highly regarded. “A big return for the Nationals. Fien was the 12th pick last year. Evaluators love Fitz-Gerald,” Passan wrote on X.

Another prospect in the trade package is Rosario, who has dealt with an elbow injury. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young told David Laurila of FanGraphs in November 2025 that Rosario will not be able to play in 2026.

“Alejandro had an elbow injury and is going to miss all of next year as he recovers,” Young said. “We’re hoping to have him back in 2027, hopefully by spring training of 2027.”