Sitting on his lap, occasionally whispering in his ear or tugging on his shirt, Mychal Givens’ daughters watched the screen as their father spoke of years past, and how much has changed.

It’s in Baltimore that Givens’ two daughters, Makaylah and Ahmya, were born. Now they’re growing up before his eyes, old enough to understand a press conference and show off smiles with front teeth missing. For their father, the right-handed reliever who knew no other major league organization beyond the Orioles before he was traded at the 2020 deadline, he’s a different pitcher — but mostly due to the new role he’ll assume at Camden Yards compared to his last stint.

Givens once learned from the veteran relievers around him, the Darren O’Days and Brad Brachs and Zack Brittons that made the Camden Yards bullpen feel like a “family.”

At 32, after signing a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2024 with the Orioles, he’s excited to return to where things all began, drafted as a shortstop in 2009 before transitioning to a relief role. He’ll raise his daughters here. And he’ll help raise a bullpen in which he’ll be by far the most veteran presence — a father figure even when he’s not at home.

“I’m happy to be back with the Baltimore Orioles and just excited to come back as a veteran,” he said. “This is where my daughters were born, as an Oriole, and so it’s fun to be able to have them relive their young lives.”

Givens transformed himself from a shortstop in the draft to one of the Orioles’ most reliable late-inning relievers during his time in Baltimore.

Across his 336 innings for the club, Givens managed a 3.32 ERA. As the team fell from a wild card contender in 2016 to a rebuilding franchise, Givens was a steady presence, serving as the closer for parts of 2018 and 2019 before his eventual trade to the Colorado Rockies in 2020.

Since then, Givens has still performed well in late-inning roles. But he’s hopped from team to team, traded from the Rockies to Cincinnati Reds in 2021 and from the Chicago Cubs to New York Mets in 2022.

The changes have come full circle. He left when the franchise had reached its nadir. He now returns on its ascent, coming to a team that has since recorded its first winning season since 2016.

“Got to face them a little bit when I was in a Cubs uniform last year and got to see the improvements and watching from afar the things they’ve been doing with the young talent,” Givens said. “It’s been fun to watch.”

Givens will have a closer view to watch, now part of a bullpen that includes standout — yet inexperienced — options. Right-hander Félix Bautista, a rookie who excelled in the closer role last season, should remain the preferred ninth-inning option. Left-hander Cionel Pérez and right-hander Dillon Tate proved themselves in high-leverage bridge roles, and Givens projects to find himself in that late-game mix.

Givens has appeared in 419 career games. The other 11 likeliest options to make the Orioles’ opening-day bullpen have an average of about 56 games under their belts. So this time when he’s in Baltimore, Givens will be the one providing advice.

It’ll be a bit of parenting, in a sense. And Givens knows all about that.

andy.kostka@thebaltimorebanner.com