Jul 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ken Giles (53) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Turner Field. The Phillies defeated the Braves 4-0 in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Adding one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball to their bullpen, the Houston Astros acquired right-hander Ken Giles from the Philadelphia Phillies, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday night.
Philadelphia is due to receive left-hander Brett Oberholtzer, right-hander Vincent Velasquez and a minor-leaguer. The swap is not finalized pending the players passing physical exams.
The rebuilding Phillies are looking to add depth, while the Astros are reinforcing a roster that produced a playoff berth last season.
Giles’ average fastball velocity ranked 11th in the major leagues last season. In his second major league season, Giles, 25, emerged as Philadelphia’s closer and wound up with 15 saves, a 1.80 ERA and a 6-3 record. He struck out 87 and walked 25 in 70 innings.
Oberholtzer, 26, went 2-2 with a 4.46 ERA in eight starts for Houston this year. In 12 starts for Triple-A Fresno, he finished 7-4 with a 3.86 ERA.
Velasquez, 23, broke into the majors with the Astros in 2015, and he went 1-1 with a 4.27 ERA in seven games (five starts). In nine games (five starts) for Double-A Corpus Christi, he went 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA. He was a second-round draft pick in 2010 out of a Southern California high school.
