Camilo Doval has slipped so far out of Aaron Boone’s late-game plans that even with the Yankees scrambling through the second doubleheader of the week, the right-hander still never got the call. His last appearance came in the first game of that doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when New York was already buried 7-1 and the outcome was long decided.
That absence has only fueled the sense that Doval could be available at the trade deadline, and one club is already linked to him. According to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the Pittsburgh Pirates have interest in the reliever.
Given that the Yankees have gone a full calendar week without using him, moving him would not seem to disrupt much in the short term. The way things look now, New York may already be acting like a team preparing for life without him.
Boone was asked about Doval after Saturday’s win over the Philadelphia Phillies, and he kept the door open without saying much about Pittsburgh’s interest. He said he wants the reliever to get back into meaningful spots.
"I'm hoping he works his way back into a significant role," Boone said, according to the Post's Dan Martin. "We cast off people all the time during a long major league season, and the reality is, things change, and they can change in a hurry sometimes."
That said, Boone is the one with the power to put Doval back into those situations. For now, the manager’s comments read more like a deflection than a promise. There’s also the possibility the Yankees are trying to protect one of last year’s notable deadline additions from hurting his own value any further by keeping him off the mound.
The appeal is obvious, even with the ugly results. Doval carries a 4.86 ERA, but his raw stuff still jumps off the page.
His average fastball velocity is 98.6 MPH, which ranks in the 96th percentile in baseball. His 98.8 MPH cutters also have movement that stands out.
And yet, every time he takes the ball, the runs seem to follow.
If the Pirates are serious, the Yankees could have a player of their own in mind. One name that fits is switch-hitting outfielder Jake Magnum, a player New York has reason to consider because it has been looking for outfield help.
Magnum is not a flashy target, but he does offer value as a bench piece and late-game option. This season, he is hitting .304/.352/.373 in 284 plate appearances.
A straight one-for-one deal might not be enough, and the Yankees may need to add another piece to make it work, but it is one possible framework. Paul Skenes, though, is not part of that conversation.
For Pittsburgh, the gamble would make some sense. The Pirates’ bullpen ERA sits at 4.50, which ranks 24th in the majors, and the teams behind them are not in the postseason picture. Doval would give them a chance to try to straighten him out and maybe get back the version of him who closed games for the San Francisco Giants and made All-Star teams.
If the Yankees do move on, it does not sound like they’ll spend much time looking back. They can keep cycling through options, the way they have with Brent Headrick and Luke Weaver, and keep searching for the next arm to mold.
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