San Francisco Giants Skipper Announces Former All-Star Closer Will Lose Role in 2025

Bob Melvin wasted no time dropping major information at Giants camp, announcing that Ryan Walker will serve as the team's closer, and not Camilo Doval.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Camilo Doval (75) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the seventh inning at Oracle Park in 2024. | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin wasted no time dropping major news on the first day of spring training.

Per Justice delos Santos of the San Jose Mercury-News:

A couple takeaways from Bob Melvin’s first availability:

• There will be competition for the fifth spot in the rotation with Harrison/Birdsong leading the way
• Ryan Walker will be the closer
• Jung Hoo Lee and Tom Murphy are full go

A couple takeaways from Bob Melvin’s first availability:

• There will be competition for the fifth spot in the rotation with Harrison/Birdsong leading the way
• Ryan Walker will be the closer
• Jung Hoo Lee and Tom Murphy are full go

— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) February 12, 2025

Walker, a 29-year-old Washington native, went 10-4 for the Giants last season with a 1.91 ERA. He appeared in 76 games with 10 saves. He struck out 99 batters in 80.0 innings.

He made his major league debut in 2023 and is 15-7 lifetime with a 2.48 ERA. He is a former 31st-round draft pick out of Washington State.

The guy he's already beaten out for the job, Camilo Doval, had 23 saves last season but battled inconsistency, even getting sent to the minor leagues at one point. Now 27, Doval is a four-year veteran. He made the All-Star Game in 2023 as he led the National League in saves with 39.

The Giants are coming off a season in which they finished fourth in the National League West and missed the playoffs. They've been active this offseason, bringing in All-Star shortstop Willy Adames, but they still appear to be behind the World Champion Dodgers, who took Blake Snell from the Giants in free agency and added Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have also been active, inking former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes to a long-term contract.

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