Blue Jays: Former outfielder Anthony Gose looks legit on the mound

Former Blue Jay outfielder Anthony Gose is trying to make a comeback as a pitcher, and the southpaw looked pretty solid on Monday while pitching for Cleveland.

It’s always a bummer when a prospect flames out, especially when they have the tools to really make an impact on the MLB level if they could ever put things together.

That was the case for Anthony Gose, a former outfielder that played in the Blue Jays’ minor league system from 2010-2014, also playing in 202 games at the big league level in Toronto. The speedy outfielder originally arrived in 2010 after being traded from the Philadelphia Phillies’ system. He wasn’t in the Roy Halladay trade that brought back Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis d’Arnaud, but after Taylor was later flipped for Wallace, and Wallace for Gose, the confusion began.

Gose had obvious skills with his speed on the base paths, on defence in the outfield, and with a strong throwing arm, the California native was viewed by many as the eventual hier to centre field, and hopefully the leadoff spot as well. Unfortunately he just never could produce with the bat enough to stick at the highest level, finishing his career as a hitter with a slash line of .240/.309/.348 in the big leagues.

Still just 29 years old, Gose has been trying to work his way back to being a MLB player, but this time he’s taken the mound in his pursuit of baseball greatness. And if his outing on Monday during Cleveland’s Spring Training game is any indication, there might be something to his comeback attempt. Granted, this isn’t new, as he started pitching again in 2017, but he caught the attempt of MLB.com on Monday, who posted a video clip of his appearance.

The southpaw displayed a lively fastball, a hard-moving slider, and what looks to be a decent curveball as well. And from what it sounds like, he might even have a chance to earn a spot in Cleveland’s bullpen this year if he continues throwing well.

The former Blue Jay ended up posting a 3.50 ERA in Double-A last season across 22 appearances and 18 innings, which was after he dominated the High-A level with a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings to start the year. We also heard rumours that another former Blue Jay outfielder, Jose Bautista, may be training as a pitcher right now as well, but you can put Gose down for a more legitimate and realistic example of a player trying to reinvent themselves.

I’m sure he’s very much still a work in progress, but I’m sure I can speak for most Blue Jays fans when I say I wish him well, and it’s awfully fun to see him back in the game.