Anthony Gose traded to Tigers for Devon Travis

[ace3113]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=24285

 

Devon Travis

Born: 02/21/1991 (Age: 23)

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Height: 5' 9" Weight: 195

Primary Position: 2B

MLB ETA: 2015

Risk Factor: Low

OFP: 50

Realistic Role :

Role 45; Second Division Regular

 

Physical/Health:

 

Tiny frame; looks really small on the field; high waist; short torso; very strong for his size; shows signs of past high-end athleticism; solid athlete at this point.

 

Hit: 55

 

Simple, short swing; starts with hands at just below shoulder height and pulled close to chest; trigger is straight back, lightning quick, and very consistent; bat gets to the hitting zone quickly and on a level plane; knack for getting the bat on the ball; strong forearms and wrists allow him to drive the ball to all fields; works from line to line; frequently gets out ahead of pitches and hits off his front foot; still drives the ball despite balance issues; likes to hit and won't sit back and wait too often; OBP will be driven by batting average; potential to hit .275-.280 at MLB level.

 

Power: 40

 

Has bat speed and strength in swing; can drive ball to all fields; has to sell out for home run power; most of home run power is to pull side and requires him to cheat and pull off; can drive ball to gaps consistently and will have plenty of doubles; 20-25+ doubles; 9-12 home runs if hit tool reaches peak.

 

Baserunning/Speed: 45

 

Fringe runner down the line; consistently 4.35-4.38 home to first; looks in pain when he runs at full speed; max-effort runner; makes the most of fringe speed; good instincts and will still steal 10-15 bases a year; speed is not impact tool at MLB level.

 

Glove: 55

 

Above-average total package; fringe range that plays up because of instincts; first-step quickness is not overly impressive; reads angles well and makes more plays than he should; good footwork when he gets to the ball; exceptionally soft hands; lightning quick on the pivot; turns an excellent double play; doesn't project to defend at other positions; limited to right side.

 

Arm: 45

 

Very quick release and quick transfer on pivot; ball comes out cleanly but lacks impressive velocity; throws from behind the bag doesn't have the zip to make the impressive play; throws accurately on the run; fringe-average arm strength overall.

 

Overall:

 

Grinder with tons of effort and instincts for the game; hit tool driven offensive profile; power comes up short of average and OBP will be batting average driven; has to hit a ton to play every day; fringe runner with instincts to take bases; glove works very well at keystone even with fringe arm; has some skills for an extended MLB career.

[xposbrad]

I'm not saying it's a bad move. I like Travis. Just pointing out that Gose isn't nothing. I liked that skill set.

 

Good D + Fast + can't hit? I'd say only about half the ball players in the minors have that skill set.

[aselvana]

yay?

[TheHurl]

SCOUTING GRADES

Batting: 60.

Power: 45.

Speed: 50.

Defense: 50.

Arm: 50.

Based on 20-80 scouting scale—where 50 represents major league average—and future projection rather than present tools.

Born: Feb. 21, 1991. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-9. Wt.: 195. Drafted: Florida State, 2012 (13th round). Signed by: Jim Rough.

 

Background: Travis has spent most of his baseball life being overlooked. Undrafted out of high school, he went to Florida State, where he posted big numbers as a three-year starter. Still, teams were wary of Travis’ 5-foot-9 size, so he lasted until the 13th round in the 2012 draft, then signed for $200,000. That quickly looked like a bargain when he hit a combined .351/.418/.518 through two levels of Class A ball in his first full season in 2013. A week into the 2014 season, Travis suffered an oblique injury that kept him on the disabled list for six weeks and lingered into May. After shaking off the rust, from June 1 onward he batted .312/.379/.481. With Ian Kinsler blocking Travis at second base in Detroit, the Tigers moved the prospect from second base to center field for the final three games of the season and planned to play him there in the Arizona Fall League until Travis was sidelined following core muscle surgery in September.

 

Scouting Report: While there’s nothing flashy about Travis, and he still has his detractors in the scouting community, he has excellent bat-to-ball skills and an extensive track record for hitting everywhere he goes. He has superb hand-eye coordination, good balance at the plate and strong bat control, which allows him to make consistent contact and use the whole field. He’s a smart player who’s been able to make adjustments as he’s moved up the ladder. His stance was more spread out in college, but in 2013 he adopted a more upright approach, dropped his hands and used a shorter, simpler load to be quicker to the ball and improve his plate coverage on the inner third. He stays within the strike zone and squares up both fastballs and offspeed pitches. Travis has the strength for 10-15 homers per year. He is an average runner who’s sometimes slower going from home to first base, but he’s a better runner underway and moves well going first to third. He’s an instinctive player and an efficient basestealer. At second base, Travis is steady, making the routine play and turning double plays well with an average arm.

 

The Future: With Kinsler signed through 2017, with a club option for 2018, Travis doesn’t have a clear path to Detroit. His pure speed isn’t ideal for center field and he has minimal experience there, though his bat could be ready at some point in 2015. While Travis fits the grinder mold that gets thrown on a lot of short players, he’s more than just a scrappy reserve because of his bat potential. If everything clicks, Travis could be the Tigers’ version of the Pirates’ Josh Harrison, another diminutive righthanded batter who hit at every minor league level but never had many believers among scouts until his breakout 2014 season. Even if Travis doesn’t hit that upside, he has a chance to turn into a steady, average everyday player.

 

2014 Club (Class) AVG OBP SLG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB

Erie (AA) .298 .358 .460 396 68 118 20 7 10 52 37 60 16

[Caper]

OK. Travis has a legit chance to be a league-average 2B immediately. Losing Gose is a hit though.

 

Gose isn't even Pompey next year.

[nonamejays]

It's possible to like players that get dealt from your team. Gose was decent, it's just that Pompey made him expendable. Travis looks like an awesome fit.

[fatcowxlive]

Good job on AA, I couldn't believe it when I read it. Gose was overhyped enough to trick the Tigers!

[NorthOf49]

The ninja returns!

[TheHurl]

Apparently he can play outfield?

 

no he can't. He was playing outfield because of the presence of Kinsler.

[GD]

Good job on AA, I couldn't believe it when I read it. Gose was overhyped enough to trick the Tigers!

 

Fatcow commenting on a shrewd AA move? Is this 2011 or something?

[TheHurl]

The ninja returns!

 

He just made a trade for a guy who's upside is league average 2B. I know we love shiny and new but lets not get out of hand here. He traded a guy who was out of options for a 2B who might make the team out of training camp.

[BTS]

Good job on AA, I couldn't believe it when I read it. Gose was overhyped enough to trick the Tigers!

 

I don't think the Tigers were tricked. Gose is the same age as Travis, and probably not worse - just different. They have Kinsler at 2B, and a 500K 4th OF who can play plus defense at all three positions and provide big value on the bases is a nice asset.

 

Fair trade.

[fatcowxlive]

Who are you?

 

I'm fatcow, nice to meet you

 

Fatcow commenting on a shrewd AA move? Is this 2011 or something?

 

More importantly, AA made a great move is this 2011 or something?

[Angrioter]

Homer Bush 2.0

[BTS]

He just made a trade for a guy who's upside is league average 2B. I know we love shiny and new but lets not get out of hand here. He traded a guy who was out of options for a 2B who might make the team out of training camp.

 

Yeah. People are acting like Travis is a solid bet to come in and be a league-average starter. That's probably not going to happen yet.

[ace3113]

Looks like AA reads Breaking Blue. j/k

 

http://www.breakingblue.ca/2013/11/22/the-expendables/

 

Detroit Tigers

 

Devon Travis

Position: 2B

Height/Weight: 5’9″ 183lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

Born: February 21 1991 (Age 22)

MLB.com rank: 12

(IL – 2013) (FSL – 2013) 237pa .350/.401/.561 10hr 34rbi 11(2b) 2(3b) 18bb 32so 8sb 1cs

 

Minor league second baseman are pretty much an island of misfit toys as far as baseball prospects go; not enough range or arm to play shortstop and not enough power to profile at third base. Because of this Travis will likely always be slightly undervalued despite the fact that he’s just continued to perform at every level he’s played. I first took notice of Travis prior to the 2012 draft when I ranked him as the 5th best college second baseman available. In my scouting writeup at the time I said the following about him:

 

“[A]n ideal blend of patience and pop…has a short stroke and a pro-type approach at the plate…excellent bat speed and the ball jumps off his bat, producing above average power for an infielder…Travis also shows above-average speed along with plus defensive tools at second……one of those players that seems to do everything well.”

 

Travis has pretty much been all that and more for the Tigers since they took him in the 13th round that year. He has very good bat speed and a short swing that help him catch up to good velocity. Despite his being undersized he has some pop in his bat as well generating a lot of it from his strong lower-half. While Travis is not considered a burner, his speed plays up both in the field and on the base paths thanks to good instincts. Defensively, Travis is as solid as it gets. He has quick hands in the field, and makes excellent transfers.

 

He’s a little bit older, but I see some similarities between Travis and Red Sox prospect Mookie Betts. I’m sure there are people who will tell you that every team has a Devon Travis-like prospect in their system, but I really believe he’s going to be more than an afterthought when it’s all said and done. He’s actually even ranked a little higher than where I typically like my “sleepers” but the Tigers system isn’t exactly flush with prospects so that’s to be expected.

[burlingtonbandit]

Sounds like he can be a 2-3 WAR player which would be pretty damn good for this team. Gose will be great in Detroit's OF but he is a platoon player and with Pompey he doesn't really have a place to play.

[spats]

Love this move. Now just sign Melky and have Pillar as our 4th outfielder. Gose's days were numbered as soon as Pompey showed that he was a more capable center fielder.Headed in the right direction.

[fatcowxlive]

I don't think the Tigers were tricked. Gose is the same age as Travis, and probably not worse - just different. They have Kinsler at 2B, and a 500K 4th OF who can play plus defense at all three positions and provide big value on the bases is a nice asset.

 

Fair trade.

 

Oh for sure, I'm talking player vs. player, I'd think Travis hold more value than Gose. Situation wise however, great move from both teams. Like you said, they got excess speed off the bench and plus-plus CF defence paid less than a million which is exactly what they (or almost any MLB team) needs

[Jim_Ackers_balls]

He won't beat out Macier Izturis.

[Angrioter]

[Angrioter]

[Orgfiller]

So you're saying AA made a trade that is accepted by most and at the moment might potentially fill a hole?

 

[labadee]

I honestly don't know much about him. How long would we expect it to take before we see him regularly playing in our infield? what happens with goins?

[BTS]

I honestly don't know much about him. How long would we expect it to take before we see him regularly playing in our infield? what happens with goins?

 

He's 24 before the season starts, and has 400+ successful PA in at AA, so he could be used from opening day. They should probably have a solid contingency plan in place in the not-unlikely event that he struggles though.

[TheHurl]

He also just had knee surgery and won't pick up a bat until mid-December.

 

I'd like to point out that I like the trade from the Jays perspective...I just don't think Travis is the answer. It does in my mind mean that the Jays have their OF situation figured out.

[JaysRap]

Something big is cooking...

[burlingtonbandit]

The more I think about it the more I like it for both teams. Gose probably didn't have as much value around the league as he should based on his defence and he will be amazing defensively in that ballpark. Travis was blocked by Kinsler and Blue Jays have a huge need at 2B.

 

Gose probably puts up a higher WAR next year based on his defence but the Blue Jays should be a better team with Pompey in CF. Big risk to take relying on 2 kids but the reward is pretty high.

[TheHurl]

Something big is cooking...

 

Rack of lamb

[BTS]

It does in my mind mean that the Jays have their OF situation figured out.

 

I really hope that the OF solution isn't status quo. They have Mayberry/Dirks in LF which you probably pencil in for like 0 WAR, Pillar who might be an OK 4th OF, and Pompey, who could be anywhere from above-average to terrible. If this is the group they plan on rolling with, I don't think they get a whole lot from their OF outside of Bautista.