Recent DFA Could Open Door for SF Giants Reunion With Familiar Reliever

The San Francisco Giants are going into a rebuild after trading away several top names at the MLB Trade Deadline, such as Luis Arraez, Heliot Ramos, and Robbie Ray. But with every rebuild, there's always a possibility for a familiar face to get a second chance with the franchise, depending on specific needs.

It's clear the Giants bullpen is one of those specific needs, holding a bullpen ERA of 4.18 and only collecting 30 saves this season. With many young pitchers looking to pave their path into the bullpen, this club needs a veteran reliever that it can rely on.

Across the league, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Tuesday afternoon that they've designated former San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval for assignment as a corresponding move to activate Kirby Yates off the injured list.

Isn't that crazy how the world of baseball works? Doval spent his best years as a member of the Giants organization, holding a 3.29 ERA in 275 games for the franchise from 2021 to 2025, when he was traded to the New York Yankees. As a Giant, Doval collected 107 saves. Elsewhere, between the Yankees and the Pirates, Doval has recorded two saves.

Should the Giants Reunite with Doval?

San Francisco Giants pitcher Camilo Doval (75) looks on in the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This season, Doval holds a 4.30 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP with New York and Pittsburgh, having pitched well with the Pirates, but not well enough for the team to keep him around. Pirates manager Don Kelly had a blunt statement about Doval that the Giants know well.

“He had some really good games and a couple tough ones,” Kelly said via Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com. “He's got some really good stuff, and ultimately, it really just came down to being able to maximize innings.

It's not like Doval has lost all of what made him an All-Star in 2023, but he hasn't been that pitcher since. However, having tested the waters away from San Francisco, and then the Giants testing the waters without Doval, perhaps it's a reunion that has to happen.

Doval seemed to have figured it out the first month he was in Pittsburgh, pitching to a 2.84 ERA in August. But in September, it's been a different story, in which he's posted a 5.68 ERA in 6.1 innings across seven games.

Bringing Doval back to a franchise where he has previously felt comfortable and confident could be beneficial. As a veteran closer, he has the opportunity to mentor the younger players, while learning from them as well. San Francisco might be making the right choice by following the path that seems laid out before them.

According to MLB's DFA rules, within seven days of the transaction, the player can either be traded or placed on outright or unconditional release waivers. So, the Giants could be a team to watch for the next few days to see if they're a fit for their former reliever again.

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