After nearly 6 months of trade speculation, Paul Toboni finally got a MacKenzie Gore deal done, sending the left-hander to the Texas Rangers in exchange for 5 prospects. While none of the 5 prospects acquired
for Gore are top 100 prospects on any major publications currently, they all have unique skillsets that could put them in those talks in the upcoming 2026 season.
Of the 5 prospects, the most highly touted is shortstop Gavin Fien, the 12th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Fien was MLB Pipeline’s 22nd-ranked prospect and my 15th-ranked prospect in the 2025 draft class, and was a favorite of many draft analysts who especially value summer circuit performance. In the summer of 2024, before Fien’s senior year, he demolished the top prep pitching in the country, hitting .450 with a 1.262 OPS in 68 plate appearances. The underlying numbers backed up Fien’s great success as well, most notably an 81st percentile contact rate, 90th percentile strikeout rate, and 97th percentile bat speed.
Fien seemed destined to skyrocket up draft boards, but an odd senior season at Great Oaks High School in California held that back somewhat. He still finished his senior season with a 1.056 OPS, but he got off to a slow start to the year and finished below his sophomore and junior years’ marks of 1.133 and 1.147. Even without a ridiculous senior campaign, Fien still made himself a lot of money in the draft, going 12th overall to the Texas Rangers for a signing bonus of 4.8 million, with reports he was under consideration by the Cardinals and Pirates with their first round picks, 5th and 6th overall, respectivelly, as well.
According to Joe Doyle of Over-Slot, a fantastic site that covers the MLB draft extensively, the Red Sox scouting department was enamored by Fien’s abilities pre-draft, and it seems likely he would have been their pick if he had made it to 15th overall. With Paul Toboni and many of his Red Sox colleagues now in DC, they bring in a prospect they were very high on in last year’s draft class, someone they saw the potential to be a star in.
Fien’s professional debut after the draft in 2025 was short, just 10 games at Low A, and while it wasn’t anything remarkable, as he hit .220 with a 75 wRC+, he did show part of the reason he was so beloved by many draft analysts. In his 10-game debut, Fien had 4 extra base hits, 3 doubles and 1 triple, showing off the power potential he’ll have as he matures into his 6’3” frame. He also did a solid job of pulling the ball, a skill that is key in maximizing power output for hitters like Fien.
Defensively, while Fien is listed as a shortstop, he is likely destined for third base in pro ball, where he should be a natural fit thanks to his strong arm. This coincides well with Eli Willits in the organization, who is at the same level and, currently, plays the same position as Fien. Expect Fien to make his Nationals organization debut with the FredNats this season, where he will play third base right next to Eli Willits at shortstop, a left side of the infield that fans will watch grow up together in the minor leagues for years.
