Cubs trade piece Mychal Givens riding an insane scoreless streak

When you’re talking about trading a pair of All-Stars in Willson Contreras and Ian Happ, it’s understandable that someone like Mychal Givens gets overlooked. But the 32-year-old right-hander will definitely be on the move in the coming days, with the potential of netting the Cubs another quality prospect to fold into the mix.

Givens signed with Chicago last winter, inking a no-risk, all-upside one-year, $5 million deal – and it’s safe to say the Cubs have come out clear winners in this deal. The veteran carries a 2.72 ERA on the year to go along with 11.1 K/9 in 39 appearances. As if that weren’t solid enough for a team like the Cubs poised to sell hard at the deadline, Givens hasn’t allowed an earned run since June 14.

That’s a streak of 15 straight scoreless appearances. For contenders looking to shore up their bullpens for the stretch run, that’s a mightily intriguing bit of information – and one you know Jed Hoyer is undoubtedly ready to pounce.

ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers had this to say about the market for Givens in his latest:

"There is strong interest in Cubs setup man Mychal Givens. The White Sox could be a fit after they kicked the tires on him last offseason. As did the Phillies, and both teams need middle relievers. The Cubs and White Sox did pull off two deals for bullpen arms last year, with Ryan Tepera and Craig Kimbrel going to the South Side from their crosstown rivals."

As is the case every summer, the trade market for bullpen help is always competitive. Everyone with a shot at playing in October is going to want to add to their pitching ranks and shorten the game by handing the ball to a group of shutdown arms in the mid-to-late innings.

The team stands to flip not only Givens, but fellow veteran reliever David Robertson, ahead of the deadline. Both could fetch solid returns, but, if paired with Happ or Contreras, could help the Cubs net some serious high-caliber talent heading into a potentially massive offseason.