Giants Claim Former Closer Camilo Doval Off Waivers After Recent DFA

The San Francisco Giants are prioritizing their future after a rough 2026 campaign, and one of the biggest areas that needed to be addressed was the bullpen. The bullpen doesn't feel complete, almost as if it were missing something. For President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey, he might have found the missing piece.

The Giants announced on Thursday that they have claimed former closer Camilo Doval off waivers. Doval was recently designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates. This move reunites him with the team where he experienced the most success in Major League Baseball.

In a corresponding move, San Francisco transferred right-handed pitcher Blake Tidwell to the 60-day injured list following his season-ending injury. While there are only three games left this season, the addition of Doval clearly screams that the franchise will try to get him back to his All-Star level.

Camilo Doval's Journey Back to San Francisco

The Giants parted ways with Doval once they traded him to the New York Yankees at the MLB Trade Deadline in 2025. With the Yankees, Doval didn't perform as he had with San Francisco, posting a 4.82 ERA in 22 games with New York after the trade.

Doval and New York reached an agreement on a one-year, $6.1 million contract to avoid arbitration before the 2026 campaign got underway. The Yankees hoped Doval, with a full season with the franchise under his belt, would perform like he did when he was a Giant, but that wasn't the case.

In 2026 with the Yankees, Doval posted a 4.54 ERA in 39.2 innings pitched, spanning 44 games. He was still punching batters out, collecting 39 strikeouts in as many innings, but he was also hit very hard, finishing 10 games out of the 44 he played.

New York would trade Doval to the Pirates at the MLB Trade Deadline earlier this season, where he saw his numbers improve. However, the Pirates elected to designate him for assignment when Kirby Yates came off the IL, leading to his journey back to the Giants organization.

With Pittsburgh, Doval pitched better, holding a 3.79 ERA in 20 games spanning 19 innings with 23 strikeouts. The Giants have nothing to lose by re-adding Doval to the mix, given he's had successful seasons with the franchise in the past, even becoming an All-Star in 2023.

Figuring out mechanics this offseason should be the goal for Doval, but as of right now, he's back under San Francisco's control, completing the full trade cycle.

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