Dodgers sign Ken Giles to minor league contract, per reports

The Dodgers’ quest for relief help comes in many forms, including signing 32-year-old former closer Ken Giles to a minor league deal, per multiple reports.

Giles worked out for clubs on Friday, after spending five weeks at Driveline, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Giles has pitched sparingly over the last three-plus seasons, totaling just eight major league innings since the start of 2020. Tommy John surgery wiped out the end of that season and next for Giles, who signed a two-year, $7-million contract with the Mariners before the 2021 campaign.

Last year with Seattle, Giles also missed nearly three months with a middle finger sprain, then went down in July with right shoulder soreness before getting released in August. He pitched four games in the Giants minors too before getting released by San Francisco 17 days after the Mariners cut him loose.

From 2014-19 with the Phillies, Astros, and Blue Jays, Giles saved 114 games and had a 2.67 ERA while striking out a third of his batters faced. He had a sub-2.00 ERA three times, and his 2.37 FIP over his first six seasons ranked third among all major league pitchers with at least 300 innings.

Second on that list was Dellin Betances, whom the Dodgers signed to a minor league deal last season after shoulder surgery. Betances pitched 15 games with an 11.08 ERA in Oklahoma City before retiring.

Giles had a 2.30 ERA for the 2017 Astros, but cratered during the postseason, allowing 10 runs in 7⅔ innings while getting booted out of the closer role. He took the loss in Game 4 of the World Series, allowing three runs to the Dodgers in the ninth inning without recording an out.