Mets: 5 under the radar trade deadline candidates
By Drew Koch
Mets trade candidate: Mychal Givens would aid the back end of the bullpen.
The Mets lineup looks to be one of the best in baseball. When healthy, few teams will be able to hang with New York’s starting rotation. But the bullpen could be an area of concern. Adding Mychal Givens would definitely bring some relief.
Givens spent the majority of his career in Colorado. The right-hander was sent to the Cincinnati Reds at the deadline last season and performed quite well for David Bell out of the bullpen. Perhaps Buck Showalter could get similar results this year.
Givens signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs during the offseason and the Cubbies are quickly falling out of contention in the National League. While Marcus Stroman might be the most high-profile player made available at the trade deadline, a solid reliever like Givens could be an under-the-radar addition to any contending team.
Givens is 4-0 this season with a 3.48 ERA in 21 appearances out of the Chicago bullpen. The right-handed reliever has 28 punch outs over 20.2 frames and a career-ERA+ of 122. Adding Givens to the back end of the Mets’ bullpen would be a tremendous boost the New York relief corps.