New York Mets Acquire Right-Hander Mychal Givens From Chicago Cubs

The New York Mets improved their bullpen right down to the wire on trade deadline day Tuesday by acquiring righty Mychal Givens from the Chicago Cubs for Low-A pitcher Saúl González, the team announced.

We have acquired RHP Mychal Givens from Chicago (NL) in exchange for RHP Saúl González.

📰👉 https://t.co/yjmOqVqNZ4 pic.twitter.com/sGcclRfR2B

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 2, 2022

The Mets bolstered their relief corps on Tuesday right before the 6 p.m. trade deadline by acquiring right-hander Michael Gyvens from the Chicago Cubs for Single-A pitcher, Saúl González.

Gyvens, 32, has appeared in 40 games for Chicago this year, and has pitched to a 2.66 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 3.69 xFIP and has been worth 0.3 fWAR in 40.2 innings pitched.

Givens primarily relies on his fastball which he relies on nearly half the time and sits at 94 mph. His fastball spin ranks in the 92nd percentile by Baseball Savant. His slider, one of his tertiary pitches, averages 3.6 inches of horizontal break as well, which is strong compared to the league average of 0.7 inches of horizontal break.

Givens formerly played under Buck Showalter as a member of the Baltimore Orioles from 2015-18. Those were four of his best career seasons, as he logged 5.1 fWAR cumulatively those years.

Going to the Cubs is 22-year-old Saúl González, who has split this year between the Florida Complex League Mets and the St. Lucie Mets.

González is a 6 foot 7 inches right-hander who has pitched well this season, but is in the midst of his fifth year in the team's system.

Givens is likely not the name most people expected the Mets to get from the Cubs, but it's the one the ended up with after Chicago opted not to trade catcher Willson Contreras or outfielder Ian Happ.

With the trade deadline now in the rearview, Inside the Mets' own Pat Ragazzo notes that this could open the door for the team to give top prospect, Francisco Álvarez, a chance at the big league level later this season.

Based off numerous conversations I’ve had with Mets people in recent weeks, one possible pivot plan may be to call up top prospect catcher Francisco Alvarez if they can’t upgrade at the position before the 6 pm trade deadline, should Cubs not budge off their ask

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) August 2, 2022

Prospect Mark Vientos also wasn't moved at the deadline, and could be a call-up candidate, though earlier in the day acquisition Darin Ruf makes that possibility a bit hazier.