Anthony Gose was once a prized prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system, but the outfielder’s career has been pulled in different directions so far.
He was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2014 for second baseman Devon Travis and started out as the Tigers every day centre fielder. Since then, things have changed.
Gose struggled to earn playing time last season after the Tigers brought in Cameron Maybin and Justin Upton. He appeared in just 30 games before being sent down to triple-A in May and was further demoted to double-A just a month later after he failed to show up for a game.
The 26-year-old was optioned to triple-A once again on Sunday and will start the season in the outfield for the Toledo Mud Hens, among other things. Apparently he’ll also pitch.
MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports that Gose approached Tigers manager Brad Ausmus about the possibility of pitching. Gose was a high-school pitcher with a mid-90s fastball and with his struggles at the plate, a successful change to the mound could revitalize his career.
In 2016, Gose batted .209/.287/.341 at the MLB level with 38 strikeouts in 91 at-bats. His numbers dropped in the minors, as he slugged .203/.276/.312 in 340 at-bats across two levels.
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