Cleveland Indians continuing transition of Anthony Gose

The Cleveland Indians signing of Anthony Gose will not draw a lot of attention, but it is intriguing nonetheless.

At one point, Anthony Gose was amongst the top prospects in baseball as an outfielder. A speedy centerfielder with a strong arm, Gose was expected to be a key part of the Toronto Blue Jays future. He was later swapped for another prospect in Devon Travis, who would also eventually become a disappointment for the Blue Jays.

Gose just never was able to live up to his prospect status as an outfielder. While he did show solid speed on the basepaths, his career .240/.309/.348 batting line just was not major league quality. Yet, he still had that arm, leading to the Tigers to transition him to a reliever in the minors. He was signed by the Rangers in the 2018 offseason, and after returned to the franchise after being taken by the Astros in the Rule V Draft.

A free agent once again, Gose is continuing his transition to the mound. The Cleveland Indians have signed the former outfielder to a minor league contract, although there is not an invitation to the major league portion of Spring Training.

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Gose had decidedly mixed results last season in his move to the mound. During his seven games at the High-A level, he posted a 1.35 ERA and a 1.200 WHiP, striking out six batters with two walks in 6.2 innings. That success did not continue at AA however, as Gose posted a 6.52 ERA and a 2.069 WHiP over his 19.1 innings.

The command that Gose had displayed in the Carolina League had deserted him on his promotion to the Texas League. In 19.1 innings, Gose walked 23 batters. Yet, there were some intriguing signs, as he struck out 18 batters, and allowed only 17 hits. Considering this was just his first full season as a pitcher, there were some growing pains to be expected.

However, that ability to limit hits and strike out over eight batters per nine innings is enough to entice a team like the Indians. For virtually no cost, they have gotten themselves a lottery ticket, someone that could potentially pay dividends down the line. If his command is ironed out, and Gose is able to be productive in the minors in 2019, a return to the majors may not be outside the realm of possibility.

Every team is looking for a solid left handed relief option. The Cleveland Indians taking a flyer that Anthony Gose could develop into one is a good, albeit under the radar, move.