Orioles reportedly reunite with reliever Mychal Givens on one-year deal – The Denver Post

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For the first time in manager Brandon Hyde’s tenure, the Orioles had a dependable bullpen in 2022. They’re reportedly adding one of the few experienced relievers he had before that back to it.

Right-hander Mychal Givens has agreed to a one-year deal to return to Baltimore, according o multiple reports. The Orioles selected Givens, 32, in the second round of the 2009 draft as a shortstop, and he reached the majors as a pitcher in 2015, working out of their bullpen until being traded to the Colorado Rockies during the 2020 season. He has since also pitched with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets.

Givens inherited the closer’s role in the middle of the 2018 season after the Orioles traded away several key members of their bullpen in jumpstarting their rebuild, with a 3.12 ERA in his first four major league seasons. He continued in that late-inning role for much of Hyde’s first season in 2019, posting a career-worst 4.57 ERA as Hyde frequently asked him for multi-inning outings as one of the few experienced members of the bullpen. Working exclusively as a setup man in 2020, Givens had a 1.38 ERA in 12 appearances before being moved at the deadline for three prospects, including infielders Terrin Vavra and Tyler Nevin, who have both reached the majors with Baltimore.

Givens had a 2.66 ERA in 40 appearances with the Cubs last season when they traded him to the Mets, for whom he had a 4.79 mark in 19 appearances.

In his return to Baltimore, he’ll again provide a tenured bullpen arm for Hyde, though one who figures to work in front of closer Félix Bautista with fellow right-handers Dillon Tate and Bryan Baker and left-hander Cionel Pérez. It’s possible that adding Givens gives the Orioles more comfort in trading one of their incumbent backend arms to improve the roster in other ways.

Otherwise, Givens’ return will seemingly make Rule 5 draftee Andrew Politi’s path to a big league roster spot more difficult. Politi must remain in the majors all season or be offered back to his original organization, the Boston Red Sox.

This story might be updated.

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