Former Astros World Series Champion Invited to Spring Training With Braves
Ken Giles, a former Houston Astros reliever, has received a Spring Training invite from the Atlanta Braves. Giles gets a minor league deal and will earn $1.75 million if he makes the majors, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The right-hander didn't pitch in the MLB during the 2023 season but recently threw for clubs. The last time he was on the mound in the bigs was with the Seattle Mariners in 2022. He posted a 0.00 ERA across 4 1/3 innings pitched.
Giles was a massive contributor to the Astros winning the 2017 World Series. He was one of the best relievers in baseball as he tossed a 2.30 ERA in 62 2/3 innings pitched. He struggled some in the World Series, allowing five earned runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in just 1 2/3 innings pitched, but Houston found a way to win the series.
His playoff struggles was a reason why Houston decided to trade him to the Toronto Blue Jays after roughly two-and-a-half years with the organization.
A return with the Astros wouldn't have been surprising a few weeks ago. With Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, and Hector Neris all on the move this offseason, Giles could've had a chance to show he can still be a competent relief pitcher.
But when Houston signed Josh Hader, that pretty much put the reunion thoughts to bed.
With Spring Training approaching, this is a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Braves.
If he doesn't make their big league roster, it doesn't change their plans for this season much, but if he does, Giles could show that he still has something left in the tank and Atlanta would land him for less than $2 million.
