Gose is way above average defensively. He takes good routes to the ball, can run like the wind & is not afraid of banging into walls. He'll look great patrolling center field for the Tigers. Offensively, he has to learn to make more contact, bunt for a base hit & take the odd walk. A change of scenery will do him a world of good. The Jays do not have any high level infield prospects. This *** sounds like a good one. He'll have to adjust to playing on that stupid turf until they put real grass in at the Rogers Center.
The Tigers outfield still needs some work.
Yes, the acquisition of outfielder Anthony Gose gives the Tigers a legitimate center fielder who can run and play solid defense. But Gose should not be expected to fill the Tigers' needs as an everyday center fielder. What do you have when you remove Torii Hunter, Austin Jackson, and Andy Dirks from the picture? You have a very mediocre outfield. Gose can replace the defense of Andy Dirks, but doesn't replace his offensive production -- even in a down year for Dirks. And Gose does not begin to replace the lost offensive production of Hunter or Jackson in the lineup.
Meanwhile, Rajai Davis' platoon splits are staggering. Davis hit .356 against left-handed pitchers in 2014. That justifies his presence in the lineup, regardless of his defense. Conversely, Gose is a career .208 hitter against left-handers and .238 against right handers.
Against right-handers, Davis hit just .247. That's a problem for a corner outfielder, especially one who plays sub-par defense. It was a problem for the Tigers last year, and it needs to be addressed before 2015. Keeping Davis in a full-time role would be a big detriment. The Tigers needed to upgrade their defense, and they have done that in center field. Up the middle, the Tigers now have Gold Glove nominees in Kinsler and Avila, the returning Jose Iglesias, and now a plus defender in Gose. That's a pretty solid group.
However, the Tigers need to address the loss of Torii Hunter's production in the lineup. Hunter age 40 should not be brought back to play in the outfield at this stage of his career, but his departure leaves the Tigers with a big hole in the lineup. The Tigers also lost Austin Jackson, their starting center fielder the past five seasons, and Andy Dirks, a left-handed outfielder who would be an ideal platoon partner for Davis in left field. Gose and Davis combined can replace one of them, but not both. And they don't replace the lost production of Hunter who hit .286 with 17 home runs and 83 RBI in 2014.
What the Tigers still lack is a second corner outfielder who can hit right-handed pitching. They also need a replacement for Hunter near the top of the lineup. Dombrowski said at the beginning of the off season that the team needed another left-handed bat, and someone to pair with Davis. That is still a huge need.
