Gose closing out season on positive note

BOSTON -- Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Gose is doing his best to salvage his season with a strong month of September.

Gose entered the 2013 campaign as one of Toronto's top prospects, but never seemed to find a groove with Triple-A Buffalo. He struggled with the bat and had mental lapses both in the field and on the basepaths, but appears to have turned a corner of late.

The 23-year-old altered his batting stance and has lowered his leg kick which has led to better timing and improved overall results at the plate the past couple of weeks.

"He has been swinging it ... he's on a little bit of a roll," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He's trying to eliminate that leg kick, it's not quite as big, but even though he has a little bit of one right now, his timing is much better.

"He is getting it out of the way earlier, which was a big part of what was killing him. Now, it's a little bit earlier and when he eliminates that thing he has a shot."

Gose implemented his new mechanics earlier this month and the early results have been overwhelmingly positive. He entered play on Friday night hitting .367 (11-for-30) with five extra-base hits and five RBIs in parts of nine games.

Colby Rasmus is firmly entrenched as the starter in center field next season, but fourth outfielder Rajai Davis is set to hit free agency, which could make Gose an option off the bench in 2014. It's an old debate in baseball: Would the organization be best served using an emerging player in a utility role and provide him with occasional at-bats in the Major Leagues?

For now at least, it appears as though Gibbons would prefer to have Gose on the roster depending on what happens with Davis.

"It's a weapon off the bench late, to run, steal you a base, great defense," Gibbons said. "We think there's more in there than that, but going into next year when you're trying to win, it might cost the guy some playing time but he can help you win games, you look at it totally different."