Reds swing deal for Givens to bolster bullpen

CHICAGO -- The Reds made it clear that they’re in the market for relievers as the Trade Deadline approaches at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, bolstering their bullpen by finalizing a deal with the Rockies for reliever Mychal Givens on Wednesday.

To acquire Givens, Cincinnati sent two Minor League right-handers to Colorado: Case Williams, the club's No. 20 prospect; and Noah Davis, ranked No. 26 according to MLB Pipeline. The Reds also designated for assignment left-hander Josh Osich -- who gave up the game-tying home run to Cubs catcher Willson Contreras in the eventual 6-5 loss Monday -- to make room for Givens on the 40-man roster.

TRADE DETAILS
Reds get: RHP Mychal Givens
Rockies get: RHPs Case Williams, Noah Davis

“Mychal Givens is a guy who's pitched in a setup role, pitched a little bit in a closer role in Baltimore, and he's been very successful in that role,” Reds general manager Nick Krall said Wednesday. “Being able to lock down games that we need to lock down, if we would've been in that position, we would've been a lot closer to first place than we are right now. Obviously, we're not, so how can we address it? And he's a guy that we feel like can be a really solid upgrade to this team and give us a chance to fight for a playoff spot.”

Givens, 31, was building buzz this week as a popular righty reliever out on the trade market. He has put up a 2.73 ERA and 27.4% strikeout rate across 29 2/3 innings for Colorado, translating to a 171 ERA+ (100 being league average) when adjusting for the ballparks he’s pitched in (including Coors Field). That strikeout rate is down from his career high of 33.1% posted in 2019, while his 11.3% walk rate is his highest since 2016.

Givens is owed roughly $1.4 million across the rest of the season before he hits free agency this fall, making him an affordable pickup for Cincinnati. The Reds entered Wednesday seven games back of the Brewers in the National League Central and six games behind the Padres in the race for the NL’s second Wild Card spot.

However, this move -- the second trade for relief help in as many days for the club, which acquired Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson from the Yankees on Tuesday night for a player to be named -- signals that Cincinnati is still looking to make a postseason push in 2021.

“It certainly is a positive, outside of losing teammates. But it is always a positive, and I’m confident in our players and our team and their ability,” Reds manager David Bell said. “They just keep playing and keep staying motivated and focused. Of course, it’s always nice [to add pieces]. It’s nice when you feel as though we all believe in what we’re doing and what our players are doing and I think [the acquisition is] a clear sign of that. Not that they have had any doubt of that, but it’s nice. It’s definitely a positive.”

Cessa and Wilson were with the club in Chicago on Wednesday, while Givens will be active Thursday. With the three new additions, Cincinnati hopes to improve upon a vulnerable reliever group that had produced a 5.36 ERA entering Wednesday, the worst mark in the Majors.

Krall said that a deal for Cessa -- which later included Wilson -- had been discussed for roughly six weeks, while talks surrounding Givens began in the last week to 10 days. He said that the approaching Deadline likely helped spur New York and Colorado into moving the three players.

As for why more trades to address the bullpen weren’t made earlier, Krall noted that the team had previously picked up relievers such as Brad Brach (signed to a Minor League contract on May 1), Michael Feliz (claimed off waivers on May 14) and Heath Hembree (signed on March 22) to help bolster the ‘pen earlier in the year. A trade, however, just didn’t manifest until the Deadline got closer.

“It wasn't for lack of trying,” Krall said. “I think that we've looked at this [and] we've tried to make upgrades throughout the season.”

Now that Cincinnati has officially added three new arms with less than 48 hours until the Deadline, are there any more trades to be made?

“I wouldn't say we're ever done,” Krall said. “I think we're looking to always upgrade this club every chance we can and I think that's something where, if we can upgrade in any way, we're going to be open to it and we're going to listen.”