The Houston Astros have reportedly seen all they need to see from Anthony Gose, the outfielder-turned-pitcher they picked up in the Rule 5 draft earlier this winter.
On Monday, roughly 48 hours after Gose bombed in his Grapefruit League debut on the mound, the Astros placed him on outright waivers for the purposes of removing him from the 40-man roster, sources told Jake Kaplan of The Athletic. If the 27-year-old clears waivers, the Astros must offer Gose back to the Texas Rangers - the club from which they selected him in the Rule 5 draft - for $25,000.
Gose, a once highly-touted outfield prospect who converted into a pitcher last year in the Detroit Tigers' minor-league system, walked all three batters he faced Saturday against the Washington Nationals, struggling to find the strike zone with his upper-90s fastball and "curveball from hell," as he put it.
"He's in a tough spot," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart following Saturday's loss. "He's got talent, and I think that's what intrigues everybody about the transition from outfielder to pitcher. He's trying to make a very difficult team to make, so odds aren't in his favor but we do appreciate the talent. We do think that he's got a future, we just have to determine whether that's with us."
