The Yankees Traded Camilo Doval to the Pirates New York Just Dumped a Bullpen Problem
The New York Yankees just admitted a mistake, and it took less than a year to do it.
Camilo Doval is heading to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a Saturday deal that will go down as addition by subtraction for the Yankees. New York is getting catcher Omar Alfonzo and outfielder Luis Cruz, two low-level prospects, plus cash considerations going the other way. That is a return of pennies on the dollar for a guy who was one of Brian Cashman’s marquee deadline additions last summer.
Doval never worked in the Bronx. He posted a 4.63 ERA across 66 appearances and had a habit of showing up in the wrong inning at the wrong time. His first outing set the tone, part of a bullpen meltdown that torched a game against the Marlins, and things never really got back on track.
Meanwhile the Pirates are doing something they have not done in a decade. They are buying. Pittsburgh sits at 55-56, two and a half games out of the final NL Wild Card, and Ben Cherington is finally treating this roster like it has a pulse. Getting a former All-Star closer for two prospects who profile as depth is a smart bet.
Doval owns a 3.29 career ERA with the San Francisco Giants. That version of him is still in there somewhere. If Pittsburgh’s pitching coaches can help him find it, they will look like geniuses. If not, they gave up almost nothing to find out.
For the Yankees, this is more about clearing the noise than winning the trade. Aaron Boone has been mixing and matching in the ninth inning for weeks, and having Doval sit in the bullpen taking up a roster spot was not doing anyone any favors. New York is chasing the Blue Jays and Rays in a crowded AL East race, and they cannot afford to keep running out an arm they no longer trust.
The bigger question is what Cashman does next. The trade deadline hits Monday at 6 p.m. ET, and the Yankees are still short a reliable high-leverage arm. Trading Doval created a slot on the 40-man roster and freed up a little cash. That does not fix anything unless the front office follows up with a real addition before the buzzer.
Aaron Judge is still on the injured list. The bullpen is still leaking runs. Getting rid of the guy who was not helping is a start. It cannot be the finish.
Watch what happens over the next 48 hours. If the Yankees stand pat after this deal, they are basically waving the white flag on the season. If they bring in a proven closer or a shutdown setup man, then trading Doval was the first step in something bigger.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
