Royals Sign 35-Year-Old Anthony Gose: What Does He Bring to the Table?

The Kansas City Royals signed left-handed pitcher Anthony Gose to a minor league deal Tuesday. He has been assigned to Triple-A Omaha to join the Storm Chasers.

Kansas City has struggled with its bullpen to start the season. The Royals’ bullpen entered Tuesday with a 5.75 ERA, which ranks as the second-worst in MLB behind the Houston Astros. Aside from Daniel Lynch IV delivering strong performances, there have been few positives from the group so far in 2026.

Gose has had a unique career path, transitioning from an outfielder to a pitcher later in his professional career. So, what does he bring to the table?

Gose goes from outfielder to relief pitcher

Apr 9, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Anthony Gose (26) pitches against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith (FLO)-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith (FLO)-Imagn Images

Gose was drafted as an outfielder in 2008 by the Philadelphia Phillies. Four years later, he made his major league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays.

After three seasons with the Blue Jays and two with the Detriot Tigers, Gose transitioned to the mound to pursue pitching, a role in which he had been viewed as a standout during his high school career.

It was not until 2021 that Gose made his first appearance on a major league mound with the Cleveland Guardians. Ironically, his pitching debut came against the Royals, when he touched triple digits and struck out Salvador Perez, who was in the midst of a 48-home run season.

Since then, Gose has logged 32 innings, posting a 4.78 ERA with 41 strikeouts and a 1.34 WHIP.

Gose opened his pitching career by bringing the heat, averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball in 2021 with a 37.5% strikeout rate, according to Statcast. He followed that with a 97 mph average in 2022, along with a 30.4% strikeout rate and a 33.5% whiff rate.

The biggest issue for Gose has been his command. While his velocity stands out with a two-pitch mix of a four-seam fastball and slider, his ability to consistently find the strike zone has lagged, as shown by a 15.2% walk rate in 2022.

In September 2022, Gose underwent Tommy John surgery, which contributed to a dip in velocity upon his return in 2024, when his average fastball dropped to 95.7 mph.

The Royals are not worried about age when it comes to players. This was shown last season when they called up Rich Hill to pitch, who was 45 years old at the time.

With the bullpen struggling, the Royals are looking to shake things up, and this move gives Gose an opportunity to showcase what he can bring.

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