Rockies Acquire Mychal Givens From Orioles For Stretch Run

Image credit: Mychal Givens (G Fiume/Getty)

A four-game losing streak knocked the Orioles further back from the final American League playoff spot this week, and as a result they have begun to sell in earnest.

Hours after trading lefthanded starter Tommy Milone to the Braves, the Orioles sent top reliever Mychal Givens to the Rockies on Sunday in exchange for infield prospects Tyler Nevin and Terrin Vavra and a player to be named later.

Nevin was the Rockies No. 13 prospect and Vavra their No. 17 prospect. The Rockies parted with the pair in order to upgrade a bullpen that entered Sunday with a 5.81 ERA, third-worst in MLB.

ORIOLES ACQUIRE

Tyler Nevin, 1B
Age: 23

The son of former all-star third baseman and current Yankees coach Phil Nevin, Tyler was the 38th overall pick in the 2015 draft and overcame myriad injuries to still make it to Double-A as a 22-year-old last season. Like his dad, Nevin is a thick, strong corner infielder who is adept at driving the ball the other way. He has an advanced, mature approach at the plate, draws plenty of walks and is a good situational hitter with an advanced feel for the game. Nevin’s power is mostly to the gaps right now, but he began hitting the ball harder in the second half of last season and is still growing into his strength.

Nevin was drafted as a third baseman, but he’s almost exclusively a first baseman now and projects to remain there. Nevin has a long list of injuries that includes Tommy John surgery, a severe hamstring strain and injuries to his hand and wrist. His biggest task will be to stay healthy so he can get the reps needed to continue growing as a hitter.

Terrin Vavra, SS
Age: 23

Vavra was a First Team All-American at Minnesota and was drafted by the Rockies in the third round in 2018. He hit .318 with an .899 OPS at low Class A Asheville and was named South Atlantic League MVP in his first full professional season last year. Vavra is a baseball rat whose father Joe is the Tigers hitting coach and whose two brothers also played professionally. He has a mature understanding of the strike zone, rarely swings and misses and lines the ball hard up the middle when he connects. He’s primarily a contact hitter, but he makes hard contact and flashes enough power to project for double-digit home runs. Vavra’s below-average arm strength and questionable range on defense lead most scouts to project him to second base or a utility role. His bat should be enough to carry him to the major leagues.

Mishael Deson, OF
Age: 18

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018 for $350,000, Deson has added roughly 15 pounds to his lanky frame and now stands at roughly 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds. Even with the strength gains, there’s still plenty of room to project Deson to get stronger as he gets older. He’s a glider in center field and should stay at the position in the long-term. He flashes big-time power in games but must refine his hitting approach to get to the juice more often. He hit .252/.327/.336 with a home run and 20 RBIs in his pro debut, spent in the Dominican Summer League. 

ROCKIES ACQUIRE

Mychal Givens, RHP
Age: 30

Originally drafted as a shortstop, Givens converted to pitching in the minors and has quietly been one of the American League’s most effective setup men in recent years. He has a 3.32 ERA in his five-year career, primarily pitching in the seventh and eighth innings. Givens’ fastball, slider and changeup are all swing-and-miss pitches batters have a difficult time with. His main issue at times has been his control, but on the whole he’s thrown enough strikes to be effective. Most of Givens’ best work has come as a setup man, but he does have closer experience and notched 20 saves for the Orioles in 2018-19. He immediately slots into the back end of the Rockies bullpen and will not be a free agent until after the 2021 season.