Yankees could upgrade bullpen with trade for this former closer

Other than closer Luke Weaver, the back of the Yankees’ bullpen could look completely different next season.
Every other high-leverage reliever that Yankees manager Aaron Boone leaned on most in the postseason is a free agent this winter.
Former closer Clay Holmes will be seeking a multi-year deal, left-hander Tim Hill has earned guaranteed money after his impressive second half in pinstripes and veteran Tommy Kahnle quietly had a tremendous year in 2024.
Each of those pitchers has shown interest in a reunion, but the Yankees have demonstrated a willingness and an ability in recent years to find and utilize cost-effective alternatives, turning scraps from the bargain bin into late-inning weapons with help of their elite pitching department.
After all, that’s what they did with Weaver, Holmes and Hill. Jake Cousins and Ian Hamilton fit the same description and they’ll be back in 2025.
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One way the Yankees can strengthen the back of their ‘pen this winter — while devoting most of their offseason budget into signing Juan Soto and others — is via trade.
It’s certainly possible they’ll invest in a top-tier reliever this winter. They could go after a closer like Tanner Scott or Carlos Esteves. That caliber of reliever won’t be cheap. The same goes for the best on the trade market, like Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley and Brewers closer Devin Williams. It’ll take impactful prospects to make those kinds of acquisitions possible.
When it comes to saving — and in this case, on prospect capital — the solution could be in San Francisco.
Giants right-hander Camilo Doval is drawing trade interest this winter. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier this month that a few teams are in on the hard-throwing righty. Some are even considering him for the closer role, a spot he lost during a season to forget with the Giants.
Doval, who was tied for the most saves in the National League (39) in 2023, had a 4.88 ERA in 2024. The same reliever who had a 2.77 ERA over his first three years with the Giants was demoted by San Francisco over the summer, an attempt to get the right-hander back on track.
With his down year in mind, Doval’s value as a trade piece has dropped. In that sense, the Giants could wait to see if the righty turns it around next spring. At that point, they can either bump him back into an important late-inning role as they look to contend in a challenging division or capitalize on that surge to get more back in a trade deadline deal.
But if he’s truly available this winter and the Giants are ready to move on, many teams will be interested. The arm talent is undeniable, he has three years of arbitration remaining and for the Yankees, he fits the mold of pitchers they have a tendency of targeting.
Doval’s pitch mix features a slider, a triple-digit cutter and sinker. His ability to keep the ball on the ground is as elite as it gets. He was in the 98th percentile with a 60.5 ground-ball rate in 2024. Doval is ranked fourth among all pitchers who have thrown 200-plus innings since the beginning of the 2021 season with a GB rate of 55.2 percent — Holmes and Hill are ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively on that leaderboard.
While his control and the quality of contact against him from this past season are huge red flags, the electricity of his stuff can give the Yankees a true strikeout weapon, something they’ve been lacking in recent years.
You have to figure Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake and his team would love to get their hands on a pitcher like Doval. Maybe a change of scenery and a few tweaks from a team with a track record of bringing the best out of all kinds of arms would be enough to get Doval back to his pre-2024 form.
Either way, whether it’s Doval or someone else, the Yankees must be sure to acquire another high-leverage reliever to join Weaver this winter. A left-handed reliever would be a good get as well. Unless Hill returns for next season, the only left-handed reliever on the Yankees’ roster right now is Tim Mayza.
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Max Goodman may be reached at [email protected].