The Mets have minor league deals in place with left-hander Anthony Gose and right-hander Luis Ortiz, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Both pitchers also receive invites to major league spring training.
Gose, 34, spent many years as a position player in the majors but didn’t find much success and converted to the mound. In that role, he has intrigued with some high velocity and strikeout potential but has also shown control issues.
He tossed 27 2/3 innings for the Guardians over 2021 and 2022, allowing 3.90 earned runs per nine. He averaged 97.6 miles per hour on his fastball and struck out 31.9% of batters faced but also gave out free passes at a 13.8% clip. Tommy John surgery wiped out his entire 2023 season. He returned to the mound in 2024 but only got into three big league games. He tossed 44 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level with a 3.22 ERA, 30.7% strikeout rate and 14.1% walk rate.
Gose is clearly a bit of a project, despite his age. He’s only really been pitching for a few years and the big surgery layoff put things on pause for a while. A 34-year-old with ongoing control problems might be considered a lost cause but Gose is perhaps a special case due to his unusual trajectory. If he can harness his stuff a bit better, there’s intriguing potential there. He has less than four years of service time and can be retained beyond 2025 if he has a roster spot at season’s end, though he is out of options.
Ortiz, 29, is not to be confused with the Luis Ortiz who was recently traded from the Pirates to the Guardians. This Ortiz has pitched for the Orioles and Giants before spending the past two years with the Phillies. He has tossed 34 innings over five different MLB seasons with a 4.76 ERA, 16.3% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate and 48.6% ground ball rate.
He only made one big league appearance in 2024 and only five in the minors. He missed time due to ankle and shoulder injuries before undergoing Tommy John surgery in July. He will therefore miss most or perhaps all of the 2025 campaign. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 155 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.58 ERA, 24.4% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. If he eventually gets a roster spot, he still has one option season and less than two years of service time.
The Mets may need a second AAA team at this rate.
They really do seem to be doing more of these than any other team. I’m sure by the time the offseason ends it’ll even out but as of now, they have to be near the lead in minor league signings.
They loaded up last year as well, especially on the pitching side. They did lose 10 AAA pitchers to minor league free agency and the Rule 5 draft. Thus far, they’ve added 12.
Like you said, it will work itself out. A few pitchers who finished the year at AAA were late season promotions and might wind up back in AA. A few will get released, a few injured, and a few might open the season on the so-called “developmental list” while they work on things with the pitching lab folks.
Cohen is serving Gose for the holidays.
These MiLB depth signings are sure to anger the fans.
love me some cf p
Mets collecting ex Phillies prospects.
Ortiz was not a Phillies prospect.
Baseball Reference us your friend.
Drafted by the Rangers in 2014,traded to Brewers in 2016, traded to O’s In 2018, signed to Rangers in 2020, signed with Giants in 2022, Claimed by Phillies in November 2022. If a 28 year old well traveled minor league journeyman is a prospect when he joined the Phillies, (BR makes no “reference” to this) I have oceanfront property in Arizona.
Baseball America
Pre-2016 #64
Pre-2017 #79
Major League Baseball
Pre-2016 #73
Pre-2017 #62
Pre-2016 #68
Pre-2017 #68
Link me to the 2023 Phillies prospect rankings showing him on the list. Doh!
Maybe they are going to package all these to the Bluejays for Guerrero?
Gose, Ankiel and Ohtani. Are there any other guys who have played both sides, and made it to the majors?
Babe Ruth is the iconic star pitcher who became a star hitter.
HOF Pitcher Bob Lemon played CF opening day 1946 in HOF Bob Feller’s no hitter.
Based on the results, Babe taking up hitting and Lemon taking up pitching full time were great choices.
I can also add in Brooks Kieschnick and Bucky Walters
Don’t forget about Jason Lane, Brett Phillips, and Rowdy Tellez. Lorenzen should be considered.
Don’t forget Ron Mahay.
Great mention @Mrbarky
As impressive as those guys are to have the skill set to play at the MLB level doing both, someone like Pat Venditte impressed me more being able to pitch at the MLB level with either arm. To me it’s insane that somebody has the ability to throw in the 90’s with either arm. Seattle’s first round pick, Jurrangelo Cinjte also has this ability.
Or maybe Jim Abbot or Pete Gray making it to the majors with one arm. I understand none of these guys are in the conversation with Babe Ruth or Shohei Ohtani but I still find their abilities fascinating.
Duck Duck, Gose!
Stearns plan for pitching is pretty obvious at this point at the off-season. He thinks he can built a bullpen and rotation on a budget. I hope he realizes that Soto isn’t going to be able to produce 5 runs a game. This is going to end badly. Typical Mets…make an effort, but it’s never a full effort to go all in. Hope they make the playoffs, for his sake.