Phillies: Five unique bullpen options for 2021
By David Esser
Ken Giles
Ever since he was traded away by the Phillies back in 2016, rumors have popped up about Ken Giles finding his way back home to the team that drafted him.
Selected by the Phillies in the seventh round of the 2011 MLB draft, Giles immediately impressed upon his debut in 2014. Possessing a fastball that routinely hit in the triple digits, Giles went on to earn the nickname “100 Miles Giles”.
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Giles won a world championship with the Houston Astros in 2017 before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite having a dip in form during the 2018 season with Toronto, Giles returned to his usual self last year, ending 2019 with one of the lowest ERAs in all of baseball. Across 53 innings Giles finished 44 games, recorded 23 saves, posted a 1.000 WHIP, and had an earned run average of 1.87.
Reuniting with Giles would be a match made in heaven for the Phillies. Not only is he a player who is still universally loved by fans of the team, but he also provides the Phillies with a serious force at the back end of the bullpen. The Phillies haven’t had a closer with Giles’ type of throwing power since, well, Giles.
Coming off a monster year at just 30 years of age, Giles is likely looking to cash out when he hits the open market as a free agent in 2021. Similar to that of Alex Colome, Giles would command a salary north of $10 million. However, the Phillies could always try to get a bit of a hometown discount when it comes to landing the electric closer.