As the trade deadline clock ticked down, Yankees GM Brian Cashman delivered a buzzer-beating move, acquiring San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval. The hard-throwing righty joins New York just as the Giants begin unloading assets in a midseason sell-off.
The deal was reported at 5:59 p.m. ET, moments before the deadline. Although Doval has seen ups and downs since his All-Star campaign, he’s bounced back this season with a 3.09 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and 1.20 WHIP, along with 50 strikeouts and 15 saves over 46 2/3 innings. With team control through 2027, he’s a solid long-term bullpen piece for New York.
Yankees fans have had their eyes on Doval for some time — even during his rough 2024 season — and now he’s arrived to help strengthen a bullpen that’s struggled. He’ll join a strong back-end crew featuring Devin Williams, David Bednar, and Luke Weaver (plus Jake Bird).
While the Yankees didn’t land a starter at this year’s deadline, they made significant moves elsewhere — shoring up third base with Ryan McMahon, adding versatile depth (Amed Rosario, Jose Caballero, Austin Slater), and clearing out underperformers (Oswald Peraza, JC Escarra, Carlos Carrasco).
The Doval and Bednar acquisitions are key pieces for the future, especially with Aaron Judge currently out. While a deep 2025 postseason run may be unlikely, the front office is clearly positioning the roster for a strong 2026.
If pitching coach Matt Blake can get the most out of Doval’s elite 98 MPH cutter, the Yankees bullpen will be deep and dangerous — with four legitimate closing options heading into the stretch run and potentially into October. Aaron Boone will now have more flexibility when managing high-leverage innings.
About the Author
