Angels rival just put LA on notice with stunning trade for Nationals' ace

As the Los Angeles Angels need their starting rotation, a team in their division just showed them how aggressive they might have to be. The Texas Rangers have traded for Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore. As part of the trade, the Rangers are sending five players to the Nationals, including 2025 first-round pick Gavin Fien.

Gore was shopped at the trade deadline last July, but interested teams reportedly balked at the Nationals' asking price. As surprising as it is to see that the Nationals found a suitor for Gore, it's equally surprising that the suitor was the Rangers.

Mackenzie Gore's trade to the Rangers is another harsh reminder for the Angels

In doing so, the Rangers weren't afraid to decimate the top half of their farm system. Fien was entering the 2026 season as Texas' second best prospect, and Alejandro Rosario was an organizational top-10 prospect. Abimelec Ortiz, Devin Fitz-Gerald, and Yeremy Cabrera were all top-20 prospects in the Rangers' system.

The Angels don't have the healthiest of farm systems, so there likely wasn't a scenario where they were viewed as a potential suitor for Gore. In other words, for the same reasons that the Angels weren't going to be the team that traded for Edward Cabrera, Shane Baz, or Freddy Peralta, Gore was never a realistic option.

It's why trades for Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins or Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers are also a dream that isn't based in reality for the Angels.

The Rangers' trading for Gore is a sign that they do plan on contending this season. Considering the Seattle Mariners nearly reached the World Series last year, and the Houston Astros are itching for one more season of contention, 2026 has the appearance of being another season where the Angels are climbing uphill. Their climb likely won't even see them pass the Athletics next season.

As for the need the Angels have in the rotation, the Gore trade is another reminder that it likely won't be addressed through the trade market. It's unlikely that Framber Valdez chooses the Angels in free agency, and Zac Gallen may be too risky, even for Los Angeles.

There's a handful of veterans still looking for a job, and it feels like it's only a matter of time before LA goes bargain-bin shopping for another arm.