Pirates Designate Former Yankee Reliever Camilo Doval for Assignment
The hard-throwing pitcher struggled in Pittsburgh after being acquired from the Yankees in a trade last season.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated relief pitcher Camilo Doval for assignment, the team announced Tuesday. The move comes as the Pirates activated fellow reliever Kirby Yates from the injured list.
Doval, once considered a significant acquisition for the Yankees, has faced a challenging period since being traded. He was acquired by the Yankees from the San Francisco Giants in a last-minute deal at the 2025 trade deadline, alongside David Bednar from the Pirates, in moves aimed at solidifying the team's late-inning pitching.
However, Doval's performance did not consistently meet expectations. With the Yankees last year, he posted a 4.82 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP over 22 games. This season, his struggles continued, with a 4.54 ERA and a career-low 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
In a subsequent trade prior to this year's deadline, the Yankees sent Doval to the Pirates in exchange for minor league players Omar Alfonzo and Luis Cruz. At the time of the trade, then-Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed hope for a fresh start for Doval, acknowledging his abilities and the challenges posed by the performance of other pitchers on the Yankees roster.
With the Pirates, Doval saw a slight improvement in his ERA, finishing at 3.79. However, his walk rate remained a concern, projected to be the highest of his major league career if sustained over a full season. The Pirates, who were in contention for a National League wild-card spot at the trade deadline, have since been eliminated from postseason play. The bullpen's performance, including Doval and Luke Weaver, did not meet the team's hopes for bolstering their playoff chances.
Doval's designation for assignment marks another chapter in a season that has seen significant roster adjustments and unmet expectations for the Pirates' bullpen. The team also acquired Luke Weaver from the Mets, who experienced a notable increase in his ERA after joining Pittsburgh, a situation he partly attributed to a severe case of poison ivy.