Pirates can't afford to gamble on Yankees reclamation project to save their bullpen

The Pittsburgh Pirates absolutely should be shopping for bullpen help before the trade deadline. But with their season increasingly hinging on whether the late innings can stop turning winnable games into losses, they can't afford to make their biggest bullpen addition another high-variance bet.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Pirates have shown at least some interest in New York Yankees right-hander Camilo Doval, although New York potentially needing to eat some of his salary could complicate matters.

Doval is exactly the type of pitcher teams love to convince themselves they can fix. The 29-year-old still throws hard, and he has closing experience. He was an All-Star with the San Francisco Giants in 2023 and has 109 career saves. Put him in a different organization, tweak a pitch or two, clean up the command and maybe the old Doval reappears. Maybe.

That's a perfectly reasonable gamble for a team looking to add another lottery ticket to an already functional bullpen. But it's a much harder sell for the Pirates, who desperately need someone they can trust when a game reaches the seventh inning.

Camilo Doval is too risky a trade deadline target for Pirates as bullpen woes mount

Doval has a 4.86 ERA through 41 appearances with the Yankees this season, allowing six home runs in 37 innings. He's struck out 35 batters while walking 15 and owns a 1.41 WHIP. His strikeout total has declined considerably from the pitcher who once overwhelmed hitters at the back end of San Francisco's bullpen, and he has steadily fallen down New York's relief hierarchy.

The Yankees have gotten strong work from former Pirate David Bednar and several other relievers, leaving Doval increasingly expendable. His stuff alone makes him an intriguing change-of-scenery candidate. Earlier this season, his command actually showed signs of improvement, but left-handed hitters were crushing him, batting .368 with a .979 OPS through mid-June.

That's exactly the frustrating contradiction that comes with Doval. There's enough talent remaining to imagine the turnaround, but enough evidence to wonder whether it's actually coming.

The Pirates shouldn't be wondering. They have already blown too many winnable games because of bullpen failures, and Dennis Santana's collapse ultimately resulted in his designation for assignment. Brandon Eisert and Ron Marinaccio haven't stabilized anything, either. The last thing this team needs is another reliever whose acquisition immediately comes with the phrase, "Well, maybe they can fix him."

The Pirates need someone boring. They need someone dependable. They need someone Don Kelly can hand a late-inning lead without fans immediately reaching for the antacids. Doval could become that pitcher again; but with the Pirates fighting for a playoff spot, they can't afford to make their trade deadline bullpen plan dependent on finding out.

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