Former Rangers prospect dealt in MacKenzie Gore trade is making Jake Burger's miserable slump look worse

These are dark days for the boys from Arlington. They have dropped several games to two very bad teams on the road, and Jacob deGrom's status is in question. So, it feels almost cruel to point this out, but one of the trade chips in the MacKenzie Gore trade is going off in Washington, D.C., at a time when the Rangers could use him, as the offense has reverted to 2025 form.

Abimelec Ortiz was considered the most major-league-ready part of the deal as he was rounding into form at Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock in 2025. He has continued to progress nicely for the Nationals in recent weeks. The Gore trade has not gone over very well with the Rangers fanbase, not only because of the middling performance of the lefty, but also because of the breakout of Ortiz.

Abimelec Ortiz's ascension with the Nationals is making the Rangers' MacKenzie Gore deal look even more questionable

Since working his way to the big-league club in Washington, Ortiz is putting up numbers. He is slashing .300/.317/.700 while playing first base. The sample size is not what you would call huge, as he has just 40 at-bats, but it is the continued upward trajectory of the stout, 5-foot-10 inch, 230-pound power hitter that lends more credibility to what he is doing. He's clobbered five dingers in that short span, giving credence to the idea that his power is for real.

Jake Burger has been driving in runs for Texas, but it struggling with his swing-and-miss, particularly against right-handers who are able to locate on the outer half of the plate. It would feel a lot better if the Rangers had a guy who is not only raking right now at the position, but also could have a potential cornerstone piece of the future doing his thing at Globe Life Field.

Ortiz is only 24 years old, and he, along with Gavin Fein, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Yeremy Cabrera, and Alejandro Rosario, was a steep price to pay for Gore, who is putting together a very ho-hum year with a 4.45 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. If the injuries to Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi are more serious than Skip Schumaker is telling us, then Gore will have to shoulder even more of the load as the Rangers push for a playoff spot over the next six weeks. That won't sit well with most fans.

And with the Rangers suddenly struggling to push runs across the plate consistently, Ortiz would have been a great weapon to have to provide that power left-handed bat who can also hit for average, and platoon with Burger.

The righty-swinging Burger has just a .674 OPS against right-handed pitching this season, versus an .899 mark against southpaws. He's in the lineup everyday, but his effectiveness is limited due to the drastic platoon split.

Having a thumper from the other side to hid Burger's weakness would be ideal for a Texas offense that has struggled to consistently scratch across runs of late and for large swaths of the season.

Alas, Ortiz would have been a cost-effective way to balance the lineup, but his inclusion in the Gore trade has left the Rangers with no other options. As a result, they're forced to ride the ups and downs that come with relying on Burger.

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