Tigers trade Devon Travis to Blue Jays for outfielder Anthony Gose

The Tigers did not rest on just re-signing Victor Martinez today. Hours after they announced the four year extension, the club traded prospect Devon Travis to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Anthony Gose.

Gose is a 24 year old outfielder from California who has spent the last three seasons on the Blue Jays' bench. He is a career .234/.301/.332 hitter, but is better known for his defense and speed. Gose only has 616 career plate appearances under his belt, but is 34 for 45 in stolen base chances. Advanced defensive metrics agree with the assessment that Gose is an above average fielder.

Travis, who was rated as the Tigers' top prospect by Baseball America earlier today, hit .323/.388/.487 in three seasons in the Tigers' farm system. He initially struggled at Double-A Erie in 2014, but ended the season with an .817 OPS in 441 plate appearances. A second baseman by trade, Travis was working on transitioning to center field before an injury ended his season prematurely. Travis underwent core muscle repair surgery -- the same procedure that Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander had last year -- in September.

Dave Dombrowski addressed the trade via a press release.

"Anthony is a true center fielder than can provide us with above average defense in center field with a good arm. He possesses above average speed and can steal bases at the major league level. He swings the bat from the left side and we feel that he will continue to improve his offensive game. We are very happy to welcome him to the Club."

With payroll concerns abound after re-signing Victor Martinez earlier today, the Tigers were able to land a cost-controlled center fielder with a solid glove at a relatively low price. Gose has just over a year's worth of MLB service time under his belt and will not be a free agent until after the 2019 season. He will make the league minimum salary in 2015.