The Tigers early on Sunday announced a plethora of roster moves, the most noteworthy being veteran reliever Mark Low cut from the team, effectively becoming a free agent (assuming he clears waivers). Among the other moves announced was reassigning multiple players to minor league camp, most notably outfielder Anthony Gose.
Gose, 26, was considered an outside chance of cracking the 25-man roster as the Tigers’ starting center fielder for Opening Day, or perhaps a platoon/reserve outfielder at the worst. Instead, he will begin the 2017 season in the minors.
However, according to Tigers’ writer Jason Beck of MLB.com, Gose is going to experiment with the thought of converting to a pitcher.
Anthony Gose will play OF in Toledo, but he'll also do some throwing on side for possible future as a pitcher. Had mid-90s fastball in past.
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) March 26, 2017
Gose approached Tigers about possibly pitching, according to Brad Ausmus.
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) March 26, 2017
Pitching for Gose is not uncharted waters for him at all. He last pitched in high school before becoming a second-round pick of the Phillies in 2008. One of his calling cards throughout his professional card has been is arm. Coupled with his speed, it makes for a successful recipe for the prototypical everyday center fielder.
However, now out of options and back in the minors, Gose is going to see if he has a better route of being an everyday big leaguer as a pitcher. He did however reiterate that he still prefers to be an everyday position player in the show, as evident by a 2008 story in the LA Times.
“Pitchers pitch once every four games,” Gose told the Los Angeles Times back in 2008. “I want to be an everyday player. I’m just being up front with all the teams. I want to play in the outfield.
“And if I fail, I can always go back to pitching.”
Gose has played in 372 major league games over five seasons with the Blue Jays and Tigers, compiling a career .240/.309/.348 slash line. He’s never been quite able to harness his potential as the standard leadoff man, striking out on average 154 times per season with a modest 25 stolen bases per campaign.
