The Free-Falling Anthony Gose Demoted To Double-A
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - The downward spiral for Anthony Gose continues.
First he lost his job in center field with the Tigers. Then he withered at the plate in Triple-A. On Saturday, he got into a dugout feud with Mud Hens' manager Lloyd McClendon and was sent home after the first inning. The next day, he failed to show up altogether.
And now, per Tony Paul of the Detroit News, Gose has been demoted to Double-A Erie, having served out a three-game suspension for his poor behavior.
Things can't get much worse for Gose. He hasn't been this low on the Major League ladder since playing for Toronto's Double-A affiliate in 2011. Back then, of course, he was heading in the other direction.
The Tigers acquired the outfielder in 2014 in exchange for second baseman Devon Travis. Having shown a quick bat and terrific range through three seasons with the Blue Jays, Detroit was betting on Gose to become their center-fielder of the future.
Things have hardly gone according to plan.
Prior to his demotion, Gose was hitting .185 in 50 games for the Mud Hens. He had been passed by Jacoby Jones on the team's depth chart and wasn't seeing regular playing time. It's hard to comprehend that he was the Tigers' starting center fielder when this season began.
Even with the suspension and demotion, it feels like Gose got off easy. After last weekend's incident, there were rumblings that the Tigers were going to part ways with him altogether. That they've held onto him suggests they believe the 25-year-old can turn things around.
"After collectively evaluating the situation in Toledo, we spoke with Anthony and emphasized our organization's expectations of him," Tigers general manager Al Avila said in a press release. "Most importantly, Anthony's transfer to Erie is a move to give him a fresh start to his overall performance as he works his way back to Detroit."
He's got a long way to go, but things can only improve from here.
At least one has to hope.
