Detroit Tigers: Anthony Gose Headed to Triple-A Toledo

Detroit Tigers outfielder Anthony Gose will head to Triple-A Toledo after clearing waivers. The center fielder was previously designated for assignment to make room for Mikie Mahtook.

Detroit Tigers fans saw Anthony Gose struggle in the Major Leagues last season.

Following a 2015 debut campaign which saw the fleet-of-foot outfielder bat .254 with a .688 OPS, a 90 wRC+, 37 extra-base hits and 23 stolen bases, Gose regressed at the plate.

His center field defense was solid—7.0 UZR/150, 1.3 UZR—but the 26-year-old batted just .209 in 30 games for Detroit last year.

That stretch included a .287 on-base percentage, a .341 slugging percentage, just 19 total hits, seven RBI and 38 strikeouts.

Gose previously stole 70 bases in two separate minor league seasons. However, the 2016 campaign saw him fail to swipe a single bag with the Tigers.

All told, the former Blue Jay finished with a 69 wRC+ and a .277 wOBA during his time with Detroit last season.

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Following his struggles, Gose spent time at both Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie. In 90 games split between the two minor league affiliates, the player struggled again.

In said 90 games, the veteran batted .203 with a .588 OPS. He also struck out 129 times.

2017

Initially, it appeared as if Anthony Gose would be in the mix for the team’s opening in center field.

Cameron Maybin was flipped to the Angels earlier in the offseason, leaving a mix of Gose, Tyler Collins and JaCoby Jones to battle it out for the starting job.

However, the ex-Houston farmhand is now out of the mix for the time being.

Detroit acquired outfielder Mikie Mahtook from the Tampa Bay Rays. In order to fit Mahtook—who should compete with Collins and Jones—on the 40-man roster, the Tigers designated Gose for assignment.

Related Story: Breaking Down Mikie Mahtook's, Potential Impact

With Gose off the 40-man roster, he had to go through the waiver process.

The Tigers announced on the team’s official Twitter account on Wednesday that the outfielder had cleared waivers. Detroit tweeted, “Today, outfielder Anthony Gose has cleared waivers and has been Outrighted to Triple-A Toledo.”

Future Role With the Detroit Tigers

If Gose can start to hit more, he should find his way back into the Major Leagues. The outfielder already brings a solid blend of speed and defense, so more production at the plate should go a long way.

That being said, Detroit does have significant center field depth in the minors.

Mike Gerber and Jason Krizan will both be in camp with the Tigers during Spring Training and could make their respective Major League debuts this season.

Elsewhere, veteran, non-roster invitees Alex Presley and Juan Perez could also factor into the outfield discussion.

This is all without mentioning Andrew Romine who showed last season that he can handle center field if needed.

Justin Upton is another candidate to see the occasional start in the middle of the outfield.