Red Sox Rumors: Ken Giles elbow inflammation limits reliever trade market
By Sean Penney
The Boston Red Sox were targetting Ken Giles but the Toronto Blue Jays may not deal him at the deadline after he was scratched due to elbow soreness.
The Boston Red Sox are aggressively pursuing an upgrade at the back end of their bullpen as the MLB trade deadline approaches. Unfortunately, there may be one less option available given the uncertain status of Ken Giles.
The Toronto Blue Jays have already started selling off pieces and were expected to include their closer on the list of items for sale. That may no longer be possible with Giles missing time this week with elbow inflammation, according to the Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale added that teams started scratching Giles off their list on Sunday when the right-hander was deemed unavailable due to elbow soreness. When he wasn’t able to pitch again the next night, his trade value essentially evaporated.
Teams started ruling out #Jays closer Ken Giles on Sunday when he didn’t pitch because of elbow soreness, and now that he sat out again Monday, his trade value is gone until this winter.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2019
Time is running out for Giles to prove he’s healthy. If he doesn’t pitch tonight and make it out of the appearance with his elbow intact enough to pass a physical, trading him before tomorrow afternoon’s deadline would be nearly impossible.
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Giles will enter his final year of arbitration this winter before hitting free agency in 2021. The Jays would be foolish to deal him while injury concerns crush his value. They would be better off waiting until the offseason or next year’s trade deadline. They won’t get quite as much as they expected but it’s better than the lowball offers they would get by trading potentially damaged goods.
The 28-year old is having a career year, converting 14 of 15 save opportunities while posting a 1.54 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 14.9 K/9.
Giles would have been among the most impactful relievers on the market with several teams showing strong interest. If the ill-timed injury takes him off the market it will remove one of the top options without satisfying any of the buyers, potentially throwing the market into chaos.
Top-tier closers who could still be available at the deadline include San Diego’s Kirby Yates, Pittsburgh’s Felipe Vazquez, and New York’s Edwin Diaz. Detroit’s Shane Greene and Chicago’s Alex Colome have also drawn a fair amount of interest. Will Smith could join the list if San Francisco wakes up and realizes their recent hot streak is fools gold.
The proven closer options get dicey beyond that. There are perhaps six viable closers who could be traded, at best, with at least that many contenders seeking a bullpen upgrade.
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The trade deadline is a game of musical chairs. There aren’t enough desirable assets to satisfy the demand. The Red Sox are limited by the amount of salary they are willing to take back and trade chips that are less desirable of what other contenders could offer. That puts them at risk of being without a chair when the music stops.