Yankees: 2021 Free Agent Replacements for Zack Britton

1. Yankees Target: Ken Giles

Ken Giles would be a good fit at the back end of the New York Yankees’ bullpen.

Remember when a Gary Sanchez home run made Ken Giles go so loco on himself that he clocked his own jaw? It…it’s not what you want. But Toronto’s closer has come a long way since then, and Houston’s success would be slightly more morally palatable if he had never been cast aside in favor of Roberto Osuna.

100-Miles Giles harnessed his power stuff and ridiculous slider in 2019, fending off a tough 2018 in the same fashion Blake Treinen envisions when he goes to sleep at night. He posted a 1.87 ERA (his best since 2015), a 2.13 FIP, and 83 whiffs in 53 innings last year. In fact, the Yankees’ season might’ve looked even brighter if they’d acquired Giles at the deadline, as many thought they planned to, especially in an effort to keep him away from their chief adversaries.

Instead he went…nowhere, closing out a rebuilding campaign in Toronto in his age-29 season.

Now, it’s time for Giles to find a new home, and it’s quite likely the Blue Jays lost a great chance to trade him for parts at the 2020 deadline — if the season’s a 50-game sprint, who’s really out of contention, you know? Next offseason might be New York’s best chance to import him, if he proves his 2019 was repeatable.