PORT ST. LUCIE — Joey Gallo hit 208 homers over his 10-year career as a major league hitter.
On Sunday, he announced he was giving up his bat following a significant drop in production the past three years to become a pitcher.
Anthony Gose doesn’t have Gallo’s résumé — and didn’t flame out in The Bronx like he did — but the lefty swinger and thrower did play 140 games with 535 plate appearances as the Tigers everyday center fielder in 2015.
And he’s now trying to extend his career as a lefty reliever with the Mets.
“All I wanted to do was hit and play center field,” Gose said at Clover Park. “I did it as long as I could. It took me a while to stop having a hitter’s mentality.”
He took a step back at the plate in 2016 and continued his downward trajectory heading into 2017.
“I just didn’t hit enough,” Gose said. “Teams liked me as a pitcher coming up out of high school. I threw 97 mph. But I wanted to hit. I had a good year in 2015 and got off to a slow start in 2016 and never got out of it.”
So Gose — then 27 — went to the Tigers front office in spring training of 2017 and suggested he go back to pitching.
He headed back to High-A and ended up in the Rangers organization a year later, where he got up to Double-A Frisco before signing with Cleveland.
Gose worked his way back to the majors by 2021, pitching six games for Cleveland that season and 22 more for them a year later before his career was derailed again by Tommy John surgery later that season.
He returned a year ago, spending most of the season at Triple-A Columbus, but got into three games with the Guardians.
Now, he wants to be a left-handed option for the Mets, the only team that offered him a minor league contract this past offseason.
“Jobs are hard to come by,” Gose said.
He acknowledged he didn’t pitch as well as he wanted in the majors in 2024.
“I didn’t make the most of my opportunities last year when I had them and got exposed,” Gose said. “I know there’s more in there. I think I can pitch another 10-12 years with what I have in my arm.”
Gose credited the Mets for working with him and said he’s ready to take any assignment they give him.
“They were honest with me,” said Gose, who could be ticketed for Triple-A Syracuse.
“I’ll go wherever they want, as long as I have a uniform on.”
Gose, 34, has allowed four hits, four walks and a run in six Grapefruit League innings, while striking out five, hitting 95 mph with his four-seamer, but worrying scouts with a lack of command. He remains committed to the transition and hasn’t picked up a bat since he returned to pitching.
“Why would I?” Gose said. “That part of my career is over.”
But he insists he doesn’t believe he’s done.
“I think I’ve done everything I could do so far, but I still have more to do,” Gose said. “I’m not looking back. I’m just looking forward and I hope I get another chance to throw the ball the way I can.”
