The Washington Nationals had scouts in Baltimore this weekend possibly looking at Baltimore Orioles reliever Mychal Givens.
It is no secret the Washington Nationals will be looking to upgrade their bullpen this July. The only real glaring need on this Nationals team is an upgrade to the pen, and it seems all but certain they will have at least one new arm out there come the trade deadline.
On Sunday, despite having a very solid series overall, the bullpen woes struck again when Matt Grace gave up a walk-off home run to Makiel Franco giving Philidelphia a 4-3 lead.
For the most part, the Nationals bullpen has been much better in the past two months. They have lowered their collective ERA from the high sevens to the low fives, Tanner Rainey, Wander Suero, and Fernando Rodney have settled into roles at late-inning guys, and they have not cost the team as many games. But, with this current group of relievers, the Nationals are not a playoff team.
With that in mind, the Nationals are clearly looking to upgrade their bullpen, and according to a report by Roch Kubatko of MASN the team had a scout in Baltimore this weekend likely looking at right-handed reliever Mychal Givens.
From earlier: Now that Cashner has been traded, who's next? Maybe no one. Nothing is imminent. But #orioles are open to moving anyone https://t.co/oan4T6lN9M
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) July 15, 2019
Givens currently is 1-4 on the season with a 4.50 ERA and seven saves. In 36 innings he has struck out an extremely impressive 51 batters and walked just 16. He holds a 1.22 WHIP and a 4.68 FIP.
Now due to the MASN dispute, a deal between the Nationals and Orioles does seem unlikely, but if some common ground can be struck Givens would be a great option for the Nats. The right-hander throws hard, strikes people out, and is under team control for 2.5 more years.
Washington would not have to give up prospects for a half-year rental, they would be giving them up for a reliever they control until 2021. Givens also has been extremely durable, pitching in over 65 games each season from 2016-2018. If somehow the Nationals and Orioles can set-asides their differences, a Givens deal could be beneficial for both sides.