Phillies: 3 trades to bolster the bullpen
By David Esser
Mychal Givens, Baltimore Orioles
A name that was heavily linked to the Phillies at last year’s trade deadline, Matt Klentak and the rest of the front office will likely be interested in Mychal Givens again this year.
Through five years and 284 games of work, Givens has been one of the more consistent relievers in a brutally tough division. He posts a career ERA of 3.40, a career WHIP of 1.142, and has recorded 75+ strikeouts in each of his last four seasons. Givens relies heavily on his four-seam fastball which tops off at 96mph, while also mixing in some off speed stuff with a slider and a changeup.
Similar to that of Crick, Givens had a rough 2019 which in part will lower his trade value for 2020. He recorded an ERA in the mid-fours while allowing a career worst 13 home runs. Despite his struggles with the long ball in 2019, Givens actually excelled when it came to keeping people off of base via the strikeout. His 12.3 K/9 rate would have ranked first among all Phillies pitchers last year, while his 1.190 WHIP is also nothing to scoff at.
As mentioned previously, Givens plays in one of the most grueling divisions in all of baseball. He has to face off against the Yankees and Red Sox multiple times a year, both are loaded with sluggers and both play in hitter-friendly ballparks. Despite it seeming like Givens is beginning to regress as a pitcher, the notion that he could return to his old form by coming to the NL East is very much legitimate.
Givens turns 30 this year and will be a free agent in 2022. The time for Baltimore to cash in is now. At a salary of just $3.225 million for 2020, this stays in line with the Phillies goal of remaining under the luxury tax.