Camilo Doval’s Career Shift

Camilo Doval has made quite the journey, moving from the Yankees to the Pirates and now facing an uncertain future.

On Tuesday, he was designated for assignment after the Pirates activated Kirby Yates, another reliever and former Yankee, from the injured list.

Doval was initially seen as a valuable asset in 2025 when the Yankees brought him over from the Giants alongside David Bednar from the Pirates; those moves were expected to secure the late innings for the team.

While Bednar has thrived, Doval’s performance didn’t quite match expectations. Last season, he posted a 4.82 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over 22 games with the Yankees. His struggles continued this year, with a 4.54 ERA and an average of just 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings—the lowest rate in his career.

Leading up to this season’s trade deadline, the Yankees traded Doval to the Pirates for minor league players Omar Alfonzo and Luis Cruz.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed some optimism about Doval at that time, saying, “I think he’s a really good kid that really tried to make adjustments. His performance was impacted by others earning higher leverage roles, which was a challenge for him. He has a lot of talent. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen flashes of brilliance. I hope he finds a fresh start there.”

In Pittsburgh, Doval’s performance slightly improved, posting a 3.79 ERA. However, his walk rate of 6.6 could become the worst of his major league career if extended over a full season.

As for the Pirates (79-77), they were in the thick of the National League wild-card race during the deadline but were recently knocked out of postseason contention. Part of the issue seems to stem from bullpen moves, including bringing in Doval and Luke Weaver, who haven’t delivered the expected impact.

Weaver, after a strong first half with the Mets, saw his ERA balloon to 5.79 with the Pirates, citing a “severe” case of poison ivy as a contributing factor.