Chicago Cubs: 3 must-have bullpen arms at trade deadline

Mychal Givens

One of the best relievers available at the trade deadline will be long-time Baltimore Oriole, Mychal Givens.

Givens is in his sixth season in the Baltimore bullpen, and it’s been a successful run for the 30-year-old right-hander. In his 336 career innings, Givens has posted a 3.32 ERA, 20.2 percent K-BB%, and a 3.41 FIP.

Since debuting for the Orioles in 2015, Givens has accumulated 6.0 fWAR, the 13th best mark among all MLB relievers over that period.

The Orioles are one of the few MLB teams that should be sellers without a doubt, even though their record is just below .500 so far this year. With the team in a full-on rebuild and Givens being a free agent after the 2021 season, the Orioles should be very inclined to listen to offers on their best reliever.

Givens’ long track record of MLB success, plus his sterling 1.38 ERA this season means he would immediately fit nicely into a late-inning role with the Cubs, but he may not be given the closing job.

Despite years of success as a relief option in Baltimore, the Orioles have scantly used Givens as a closer. At first glance, that may seem to be due to the fact that he shared a bullpen with Zack Britton during his elite run at the helm of the Baltimore bullpen. However, even since Britton left in free agency following the 2017 season, Givens has only accrued 20 saves in 139 appearances.

Although he has little closing experience, he has appeared in high leverage situations. Givens was a member of the AL Wild Card Orioles’ team in 2016. Even though the team didn’t advance out of the Wild Card round, Givens tossed 2.1 innings of hitless postseason baseball, striking out three.

Givens doesn’t come with a flashy name, but his track record is proven. He’d be a huge upgrade for any team that lands him before Monday’s trade deadline.