Giles wants to stay with Blue Jays to 'help build off what they have'

Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles is slated to hit free agency this offseason when his contract expires, but he wants to stick around The Six a while longer.

"I would love to stay in Toronto and help build off what they have right now," Giles told Sportsnet's Hazel Mae.

The Blue Jays have been working on a rebuild after back-to-back postseason appearances in 2015 and 2016, with young stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio all making their debuts in 2019. Top pitching prospect Nate Pearson could join the club at some point if the 2020 season gets underway.

Giles' name surfaced in trade rumors last summer, but elbow inflammation landed him on the injured list just before the trade deadline. Entering his final year of team control, he could become one of the Blue Jays' top trade chips in 2020.

The 29-year-old - acquired from the Houston Astros in the Roberto Osuna trade in 2018 - finished a strong 2019 by posting a 1.87 ERA with 23 saves and 83 strikeouts over 53 innings.