Right-handed free agent Ken Giles are planning to hold live bullhead sessions for interested clubs on Friday, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Giles previously hosted a display cabinet for clubs in February and then throw first Padres . official at that club’s Arizona complex shortly after, but an agreement was not reached and he has yet to sign. Heyman noted that Giles has spent the past five weeks working with Driveline, the data-driven biomechanics company, at their Arizona facility.
Giles, 32, has been one of the most dominant players in baseball during his career but he’s been facing some challenges lately. From 2014 to 2019, he made appearances for the Phillies, Astros and Blue Jays, posting an ERA of 2.67 during that time while making 114 saves. He beat 33.3% of hitters faced while doing walkouts by just 7.5%.
He could only make four appearances in 2020, eventually having Tommy John surgery causing his 2021 season to be wiped out. He signed a two-year contract with the Mariners that runs until 2021 and 2022, with the club knowing that the first year of that contract will be spent primarily on rehabilitation surgery. He made five non-scoring appearances for M’s last year but dribbled 22.2% of the hitters he faced. His fast ball velocity of 94.8 mph is a few ticks lower than the 97-99 mph range he managed in previous seasons. He was assigned to duty in August, elected as a free agent and signed a minor league contract with the Giants but was released about a week later.
Despite those tough times, a healthy Giles should garner interest, especially if work with Driveline has done anything to bring him closer to his former form. The last time he was able to play for a longer period of time in 2019, he posted a 1.87 ERA for the Jays while beating 39.9% of opponents to an 8.2% walk. . With various clubs throughout the league dealing with pitching injuries and the trade deadline still several months away, the use of Giles could be appealing to clubs. can use the power in the barn.
