Cleveland Guardians Looking For Boost From Outfielder Turned Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians have called up intriguing left-hander Anthony Gose to try and further bolster their bullpen.

Jun 7, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Anthony Gose (26) delivers a pitch in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians called up left-handed pitcher Anthony Gose on Tuesday, sending down fellow lefty Logan Allen in the process.

Gose is 33 years old, so you wouldn't think he's an interesting piece, but his history says otherwise.

The veteran began his MLB career as an outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012 and spent the first three years of his career with the Blue Jays before being traded to the Detroit Tigers in November 2014. He played outfield for the Tigers for two more years before making the switch to pitcher following the 2016 campaign.

Gose didn't actually get to pitch on the big-league level until linking up with the Guardians, where he made his debut on the mound in 2021. He only appeared in 28 games out of the bullpen between 2021 and 2022 before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Now, Gose is ready to return, and Cleveland is hoping to get a boost from the Bellflower, Ca. native.

“It is still a really good feeling to get called up,” Gose said, via Joe Noga of Cleveland.com. “I mean, especially to a good team. Everybody’s playing well, doing well up here, so it’s good to come up, get a chance to be a part of it.”

Gose has gone 5-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 35 relief appearances for Triple-A Columbus this season, registering 55 strikeouts over 38.1 innings of work.

In terms of his time as a reliever in the big leagues, Gose has gone 3-0 with a 4.71 ERA, surrendering 15 hits while recording 28 punchouts across 21 frames.

The Guardians' bullpen has been showing signs of fatigue of late, so perhaps Gose can provide the team with a significant lift over the final couple of months of the season.