Former Cubs reliever Mychal Givens returns to the Orioles

One of many veteran relievers the Cubs have signed and either flipped or reinvigorated (sometimes, both), right-hander Mychal Givens has a new home. Or, rather, he's going back to a familiar home, signing a one-year deal worth $5 million guaranteed with the Baltimore Orioles, the team that drafted him in the second round way back in 2009.

Givens, 32, pitched for Baltimore from 2015 to 2020, making 296 appearances and working to a 3.32 ERA before the O's traded him to Colorado. The following July, the Rockies sent him to Cincinnati for a brief stint before he signed a one-year deal with the Cubs prior to the 2022 campaign.

Cubs got just what they needed out of Mychal Givens in 2022

The Tampa, FL native joined Chicago on a modest $5 million salary, and the Cubs didn't even wind up paying all of that, trading Givens to the Mets at the deadline in exchange for Saul Gonzalez. Prior to the deal, though, the righty was a key piece of the bullpen puzzle, making 40 appearances and pitching to a 2.66 ERA, although his 3.83 FIP suggests he may have been somewhat fortunate during his time on the North Side.

But instead of providing a shot in the arm for New York, the wheels came off for Givens in the Big Apple. He allowed nine earned runs in his first six innings with the Mets, and while things leveled off a bit from there, he still finished the year with a 4.79 ERA in 19 appearances down the stretch.

Now, he'll go back to the Orioles, a team with a promising prospect core that has failed to make the major splashes expected given their near-complete lack of long-term payroll commitments. As exciting as the likes of Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez and Gunnar Henderson are - this team lacks the primetime star power needed to compete in a loaded AL East.

Don't be surprised if Givens is, once again, on the move at the trade deadline. This Orioles team isn't going anywhere and contending teams always want pitching.