It was reported earlier this week that once-heralded Detroit Tigers prospect Steven Moya would play the 2018 season overseas in Japan. On Thursday, the team bid farewell to two more minor league free agents.
Left-handed centerfielder Anthony Gose has signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, I’m told.
— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) November 30, 2017
Outfielder Anthony Gose could reportedly be used as a two-way player for the Texas Rangers. The 27-year-old southpaw spent the 2017 season deep down in the Tigers’ minor league system with Class-A Lakeland. He was originally designated for assignment in January earlier this year when the team acquired outfielder Mikie Mahtook from the Tampa Bay Rays. He eventually cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo and received an invite to spring training.
After failing to crack the 25-man roster out of camp, Gose inquired the Tigers about perhaps converting to a pitcher moving forward, in hopes of increasing his chances of making the majors again, for good that is. He made his pitching debut in May with Lakeland and ultimately made 11 relief appearances before being shut down with an elbow injury. The overall numbers aren’t pretty — 7.59 ERA in 10.2 IP — but finished very strong in his final five appearances and reportedly hit triple digits on the radar gun numerous times.
It ends a rather eventful three-year stint for Gose with the Tigers. Previously acquired in November of 2014 from the Toronto Blue Jays, he was finally given more free reign to be an everyday player in the majors after being primarily utilized as a platoon player in Toronto. He showed some promise as the Tigers’ primary center field option in 2015 before things derailed quickly the following year. After struggling to open the 2016 season, Gose was optioned to Toledo and had a falling out with then Mud Hens skipper Lloyd McClendon before being optioned again to Double-A Erie.
Gose will now join the Texas Rangers, who could look to use him as a left-handed platoon center fielder with incumbent Delion DeShields Jr., if not become the everyday man. However, the proposition of a having him as a bullpen option could be intriguing for a team that had the second-worst bullpen ERA in the American League this past season (the Tigers were dead last in baseball, but you probably already figured that).
The #MNTwins have signed RHP Myles Jaye, OF Ryan LaMarre, C Bobby Wilson and C/INF Willians Astudillo to @MiLB deals.
— Nate Rowan (@njrowan) November 30, 2017
As for Myles Jaye, he now looks to continue his quest of being a mainstay in the show with the Minnesota Twins in 2018.
Jaye, 25, was acquired from the aforementioned Rangers in a three-player deal that sent catcher Bryan Holaday to Texas (Detroit also acquired catcher Bobby Wilson, listed above, in that deal). He spent the previous two seasons between Erie and Toledo for the Tigers before making his major league debut in September.
Jaye became one of many players the Tigers outrighted in early November as part of their fluctuating roster plans heading into the offseason.
A former 2010 draft pick of the Blue Jays, Jaye spent just one season (2011) in the Jays system before playing the White Sox organization over the next four seasons. He then was acquired by the Rangers in December of 2015 before being dealt to Detroit just three months later.
