As Playing Time Today columnist Matt Dodge noted, the Blue Jays cleared the bridge to injured closer Ken Giles (RHP, TOR) at the trade deadline, which led to Justin Shafer (RHP, TOR) receiving a save opportunity on July 31, which he converted.
Giles is supposedly on track to return soon, perhaps as early as this weekend, though owners can hardly have complete faith that Giles’ balky elbow will hold up over the balance of the season. At some point, it may make more sense for Toronto to protect its asset and shut Giles down, given that the team is out of playoff contention.
Whether Shafer is the man to own behind Giles is an open question. Shafer has had success closing games in the minor leagues (22 saves at AAA-Buffalo...
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