The Detroit Tigers made a move trying to add to their outfield depth on Wednesday, acquiring Anthony Gose from the Toronto Blue Jays for second base prospect Devon Travis.
Tigers acquire Anthony Gose from Blue Jays
Infield prospect Devon Travis was sent to Toronto.
Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
Gose, 24, hit just .226/.311/.293 with 11 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases in 94 games for Toronto in 2014, and in his three-year career has hit .234/.301/.332. Gose, perhaps best known as one of three prospects traded by the Phillies to the Houston Astros for Roy Oswalt in 2010, is more regarded for his defense, especially in center field, and it sounds like the Tigers are counting on that defense from Gose.
“Anthony is a true center fielder that can provide us with above average defense in center field with a good arm,” Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said in a press release. “He possesses above average speed and can steal bases at the major league level. He swings the bat from the left side and we feel that he will continue to improve his offensive game.”
After trading center fielder Austin Jackson in July in the David Price trade, the Tigers down the stretch played mostly with a starting outfield of J.D. Martinez in left field, Rajai Davis in center field, and Torii Hunter in right. Hunter is now a free agent, but Martinez and Davis will be back in 2015. Davis and Gose were teammates in Toronto in 2013.
To get Gose, the Tigers gave up Travis, who will turn 24 in February. The 2012 13th-round draft pick hit .298/.358/.460 with 10 home runs, 37 extra-base hits and 16 stolen bases in 100 games for Class-A Erie in 2014. Travis was rated the No. 1 prospect in a weak Detroit farm system by Baseball America, and last year, the publication ranked Travis as the No. 84 prospect in baseball.
But the Tigers, winners of four straight American League Central titles, are in win-now mode, evident with the $68 million they gave to designated hitter Victor Martinez on Wednesday for his ages 36-39 years. Detroit is unconcerned with giving up a prospect for helping the major league team, but it is unclear whether Gose will help much at all.
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