Hard-throwing SF Giants reliever reportedly drawing significant trade interest

The SF Giants already moved one reliever. Could they move another? Francys Romero of Beisbol FR is reporting that Camilo Doval is drawing "significant interest," as multiple teams are monitoring his trade market.

Hard-throwing SF Giants reliever reportedly drawing significant trade interest

This is not the first rumor surrounding Doval this week. Will Sammon and Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (subscription required) reported that rival executives believe that the Giants should entertain the idea of moving the All-Star closer.

Baggarly later told KNBR that the New York Mets were among the teams to show interest in Doval. That did not end up happening. The Mets acquired Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley on Wednesday. You can never have enough relievers, but the heavy lifting for their bullpen might be done.

There was another trade on Wednesday that, in a way, relates to Doval. The Philadelphia Phillies acquired closer Jhoan Durán from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for catcher Eduardo Tait and starting pitcher Mick Abel. Tait is among the top prospects in baseball, ranking as high as No. 93 according to MLB Pipeline before this season. On the other hand, Abel was a first-round pick by the Phillies in 2020.

Durán is a better reliever with more value than Doval. However, he has as much team control as Doval has, with two arbitration seasons remaining. That quality has value on the trade market. The Durán trade could serve as a loose framework if the Giants move Doval.

The hard-throwing Giants' reliever is in the midst of a rebound year. He struggled to a 4.88 ERA last season while losing the closer role and briefly being demoted to Triple-A. Doval regained that role this season. He has posted a 3.15 ERA in 45.2 innings while collecting 15 saves in 19 opportunities. His strikeout rate is at 9.3 K/9, down from a career mark of 11.1 K/9.

If the Giants plan on selling, then it does not make a lot of sense to keep a solid bullpen intact. Relievers, especially closers, are in demand at the trade deadline. They also have such volatile career arcs. Effective and valuable bullpen arms today might become fringe roster pitchers in a year or two down the road. It changes that quickly, and it makes sense to trade a reliever while he still has value.