SF Giants still weighing options in what to do with Camilo Doval for 2027

The SF Giants have six arbitration-eligible players, including Camilo Doval, whom they will need to make a decision on at the end of the month. Buster Posey tells Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area that they are still “talking through a decision” on the 2023 NL All-Star.

The non-tender deadline will be one of the final deadlines before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires. At that point, teams will need to commit to a contract for all of their arbitration-eligible players.

They do not necessarily need to agree to a salary by the November 20 deadline, but they do need to make a decision on whether to tender them a contract for the upcoming season. In many cases, teams will agree to a salary with a player by the deadline.

Only one outcome makes sense for the SF Giants and Camilo Doval

Many teams employ a file-and-trial approach, where they cut off negotiations with the player until the arbitration hearing. It is a terrible strategy, and one that is done to nickle-and-dime the player. The Giants employed that strategy with the prior regime, but since Buster Posey has taken over, that has not been tested. As a former player, he may prefer to meet players in the middle.

The Giants may try to meet Camilo Doval in the middle at the non-tender deadline. They claimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the final weekend of the season. While the Giants needed coverage on every corner of the roster by the end of the season, this move was likely done with an eye toward 2027.

Doval is projected to earn $6.6 million in his final trip through arbitration. That is a hefty sum for a reliever who has struggled as much as Doval has since the 2025 trade deadline. That said, he still flashes premium velocity in a bullpen that is extremely light on premium anything.

The Giants could decide to non-tender Doval and try to bring him back on a lesser deal. However, that strategy rarely works out. Once a player is non-tendered, the odds of them returning to their original team are low.

The Giants could also try to meet Doval in the middle by giving him a raise from his $6.1 million salary in 2026 but coming in below his projected amount. This is the only outcome that makes sense after claiming the hard-throwing reliever at the end of the 2026 season.

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