Why the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to cut ties with former SF Giants All-Star

On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates designated Camilo Doval for assignment. The move all but assures that the former SF Giants All-Star will not return next year.

To some degree, perhaps even a large degree, the move was financially motivated. This was not necessarily to save a few bucks at the end of the year. However, it was a realization that Doval would not be back with the club under his current contract.

Doval earned $6.1 million this season after his second turn through arbitration. If a team claims him, then they would be on the hook for the remainder of that salary. There is a very small sum remaining, and even if a team put in a claim, he would not be eligible for the playoffs. Presumably, that would be the only team interested in adding Doval this late in the year.

The right-handed reliever is scheduled to go through arbitration one more time in the offseason. If he is tendered a contract, then he would be due a raise from his 2026 salary. This assumes that a team claims him, which again, is not a given.

Pittsburgh Pirates were likely not going to tender former SF Giants All-Star a contract for next season

More than likely, Doval would have been non-tendered anyway, thereby making him a free agent. There is a bit of an unspoken rule in baseball that once a player is non-tendered, it is common practice for any interested teams not to offer any amount above what they received in the prior year.

That likely will not be an issue for any team looking to add Doval in the offseason. Arbitration is very much an exercise in "what have you done for me lately?" For Doval, he has been more fine than good since he was shipped to the New York Yankees at the 2025 trade deadline.

It is a sharp contrast in performance. In a Giants uniform, the 29-year-old reliever posted a 3.29 ERA in 275 career appearances. Since then, he has tallied a 4.42 ERA in 86 appearances. That is good enough to hold a spot in a bullpen, but not necessarily a leverage spot.

Given that Doval can still throw a fastball that reaches triple digits, teams will find a spot in the bullpen for that type of arm. Without the control or recent track record, they likely would not pay $6.1 million for that to happen.

Doval could be an interesting rehab arm for teams with a track record in pitching development. However, that will likely come at a lower cost than what he was projected to cost through arbitration. So, while Doval did fine in a Pirates uniform, it was likely the projected cost that led to them making a move with less than a week to go in the season.

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