Astros flip newly acquired Gose to Toronto for Brett Wallace

Anthony Gose was an Astros property for barely longer than it takes him to run from first to third. Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos confirmed Thursday that he acquired the speedy center fielder from the Astros for Brett Wallace. It’s the third time Wallace has been sort of involved in a major trade. He was sent from St. Louis to Oakland in the Matt Holliday deal last summer. Over the winter, the A’s traded him to the Blue Jays for Michael Taylor, who had just been picked up from the Phillies in the Roy Halladay trade hours earlier. Now he’s getting traded for a piece in the Roy Oswalt deal. In my opinion, getting Wallace for Gose makes the deal look quite a bit better for Houston. Gose has the potential to become another Michael Bourn, but he’s a long way off and the Astros just happen to have the original. Wallace, on the other hand, is nearly major league ready and he could step right in at first base if Lance Berkman isn’t brough back next year. The 23-year-old has been a disappointment while hitting .301/.359/.509 with 18 homers in 385 at-bats for Las Vegas this year. That’s partly because he’s playing in a terrific environment for offense and partly because he has a poor 83/27 K/BB ratio in 385 at-bats. However, Wallace has displayed more power with age and he’s begun to settle in at first after making the long-anticipated move from the hot corner last year. He no longer appears to have All-Star-type upside, but he should prove to be a capable regular in time. It’s a surprising move for the Jays, given that they will have first base open next year with Lyle Overbay set to become a free agent. They might be planning to install Adam Lind there, though. Gose shouldn’t be a candidate to start until 2013 or 2014 at the earliest.