Mychal Givens hopes to bounce back after 'little hiccup' in 2023

JUPITER, FL—Through his first eight major league seasons, Mychal Givens had quietly been one of baseball's most consistent relievers. Every year during that stretch, his ERA+ was above 100 (better than league average) and he rarely spent any time on the injured list. In 2022, Givens had a 3.38 ERA, 3.96 FIP, 10.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 through 61 ⅓ innings pitched with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, pretty much exactly the kind of numbers he posted throughout his career.

However, players are evaluated mainly based on their most recent work. Last season, in his second stint as a Baltimore Oriole, Givens struggled to stay on the mound (11.25 ERA and 7.51 FIP in 4.0 IP). After waiting deep into spring training, he settled on a minor league deal with the Marlins.

"I'm from Tampa, so it's close to home and I got three kids," said Givens on Tuesday about why he signed with Miami. "I want to have the opportunity to be close and the way they've been since 2020. My buddy Richard Bleier told me great things about the direction they're going in. With guys Iike Jon Jay—I faced him in my career and he spoke highly of them and Skip [Schumaker] as well. It's just a great opportunity to be here and help the best way possible."

Givens, 33, went to Plant High School in Tampa and was drafted in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Orioles. He remained with the organization until the 2020 season when he was ultimately traded to the Colorado Rockies. Since then, Givens has bounced around, making stops in Cincinnati, Chicago and New York before going back to Baltimore.

This deal also reunites Givens with some former teammates, most notably Tanner Scott, who was on the Orioles when Givens was with them. "He was a young buck under my wing and I've been very proud of him and happy for him. He had some hiccups, but I think he just needed a change of scenery and it was great for him."

The right-hander's arsenal consists of a four-seam fastball, changeup, slider and sinker. In 2022, Givens didn't use the sinker, but incorporated it in his limited 2023 sample size. The Florida native mainly relies on the fastball/slider combo.

Givens would bring valuable experience to the Marlins. With David Robertson, Matt Moore and Matt Barnes leaving this past offseason as free agents, all members of their projected Opening Day bullpen are under 30 years old.

Although he has only two weeks to prove himself, Givens hopes to be selected to the Marlins roster when the regular season begins on March 28. He's fully recovered from the knee and shoulder issues that held him back in 2023. The expectation is that Givens will throw live batting practice for the first time on Friday. If that goes smoothly, he could appear in a Grapefruit League game a few days after that. His path to making the Opening Day roster is helped by injuries that have sidelined fellow relievers JT Chargois (neck), Josh Simpson (elbow) and Calvin Faucher (shoulder).