This former All-Star closer should be on the Pirates’ trade radar

One thing the Pittsburgh Pirates need this offseason is relief pitching. Their bullpen was originally projected to be among the game's best, but a myriad of injuries and underperformance led to one of the most disappointing aspects of their 2024 season.

The Pirates need to add some high-upside depth this offseason by any means necessary, and a former All-Star could be on the trade market to help solve their problems.

That former All-Star is right-handed reliever Camilo Doval. According to Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle, some teams have kicked the tires on Doval. 

SF Giants trading Camilo Doval should be music to Pirates fans' ears

Giants fans had high expectations for Doval, and reasonably so. Doval pitched to a 2.77 ERA, 2.97 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP from 2021 through 2023. His 9.6% walk rate wasn’t anything to write home about, but he struck out just over 30% of the batters he faced with a 30.2% K%. He also did not allow many home runs, with a HR/9 of 0.61. Doval was one of the better pitchers in the league at limiting hard contact, with an 87.4 MPH exit velocity and 5.3% barrel rate.

But Doval fell well short of those expectations. The 2023 All-Star had just a 4.88 ERA, 3.71 FIP, and 1.57 WHIP in 59 innings. Doval still struck out batters at a high rate of 28.8% and limited home runs well with a 0.78 HR/9, but he dished out a ton of walks. His BB% was 14.4%, which was a massive decline from his 9.3% BB% in ‘23. Doval was also prone to hard contact, with an 89.5 MPH exit velocity and 8.6% barrel rate.

But there are some positives at play that could hint at a potential rebound next season. Doval still had a 3.73 SIERA and 3.63 xFIP. Doval still averaged out at 99.1 MPH with his cutter. Stuff+ pinned him at 113. While that is a career-low mark, it is still very strong. Despite the struggles, Doval still put up a career-best 60% ground ball rate.

Doval is also just 27 and has three seasons of control left via arbitration. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Doval is only expected to make about $4.9 million. Even the Pirates can afford that.

One thing that may worry Pirates fans is that we already have our own Camilo Doval with David Bednar. Similar to Doval, Bednar is a former All-Star closer who throws hard with decent stuff, but his lack of command compared to previous seasons led to a career-worst campaign in 2024. The Pirates should question if they want to bring in another pitcher who is heading into 2025 in a similar position as Bednar is now. Doval and Bednar could be either the best eighth/ninth inning duo in the game, given their talent, or the most disappointing, given their 2024 seasons.

Another thing to consider is that the Giants may not be willing to move Doval for the same reasons the Pirates probably will not move Bednar. It would be selling low on a pitcher they know has plenty of potential, given their three previous seasons' worth of data. Plus, it’s not as if Doval’s stuff isn’t still up there with the best, as indicated by his Stuff+.

But if the Giants are willing to move Doval for a reasonable price, the Pirates should seriously consider acquiring him. Doval would be a huge boost for the Pirates’ pen, which is in desperate need of a reliever of his caliber. He’d also be a cog for the Pirates’ bullpen for the next three seasons.