Camilo Doval is back where it started, and he’s making no secret about what he wants next.
After a whirlwind stretch that sent him from the Giants to the Yankees, then to the Pirates, and finally back to San Francisco, Doval was activated by the Giants on Friday. To clear a spot, the club optioned Cesar Perdomo to Triple-A Sacramento. Doval is unlikely to appear in the opener against the Dodgers, though he could be available sometime this weekend.
For Doval, the move is about more than a roster transaction. “This is where I want to be. This is my home,” he said to reporters on Friday, including NBC Sports Bay Area.
That feeling makes sense given the road he’s traveled. Since San Francisco traded him at last year’s deadline, Doval has been traded twice, designated for assignment once and claimed off waivers once. Now he’s back in the Bay Area, and if he gets his way, this won’t be a short stay.
The Giants originally dealt Doval to the Yankees last July for four players after he had put together a strong run in San Francisco. At the time, he was 4-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 15 saves in 19 chances. But the emergence of Randy Rodriguez gave the Giants room to move on from a reliever who had previously needed a trip to the minors in 2024 to regain his command.
His first stop away from San Francisco didn’t go as planned. With the Yankees, Doval went 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA and picked up one save in three chances.
He opened the season in New York but never matched the efficiency he showed with the Giants in 2025, finishing with a 3-1 record, a 4.54 ERA and 44 appearances. Opponents hit .250 against him, and the Yankees moved him again at the deadline, sending him to the Pirates for two players.
Pittsburgh got a better version of Doval, at least on the surface. He posted a 3.79 ERA over 19 innings with the Pirates, though batters still hit .271 against him. That stretch ended quickly when Pittsburgh designated him for assignment earlier this week.
Back with the Giants, Doval can point to the best years of his career as proof that this organization has been the right fit before. He was an All-Star in 2023, when he went 6-6 with a 2.93 ERA and 39 saves in 47 chances, while holding hitters to a .209 average. The year before, he broke through in 2022 with a 2.53 ERA, 27 saves in 30 chances and a .218 opponent average.
He’s been tied to the Giants for a long time. San Francisco signed him as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, and before the trade, the Giants were the only organization he had known. Now 29, he’ll spend the offseason with his old club and is aiming to make the roster in 2027.
The Giants’ bullpen issues last offseason ended up costing them in 2026, and Doval returns with one more year of team control and one more chance to show that his long-term future belongs in San Francisco.
In Other News...
Giants Just Got A Brutal Reality Check On Buster Poseys Roster
David Schoenfields final ESPN grades for all 30 clubs landed especially hard in San Francisco, where the Giants were one of just three teams to draw an F for the 2026 season. The evaluation matched the disappointing finish on the field: a losing record and a year that fell well short of the playoff hopes that hovered over the club before Opening Day. For a franchise that entered the season with expectations, the grade served as a blunt measure of how much ground was lost.
There were some reasons for optimism tucked into the overall review, including Bryce Eldridges strong rookie season and signs that the farm system is in better shape. Even so, Schoenfield pointed to underperforming contracts as part of the problem and put the spotlight on the front office led by Buster Posey to deliver a better response next season. The talent pipeline may be improving, but the big-league roster still has plenty to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Logan Webb Gives Giants Fans Something To Celebrate After A Tough Finish
Logan Webb gave Giants fans a reason to smile after a difficult finish, earning the 2026 Willie Mac Award as the clubs most inspirational player. The honor, one of the organizations most respected internal recognitions, capped a season in which Webb remained at the center of the rotation and continued to be one of the most important figures in the clubhouse.
It was also a year with some bumps along the way. Webb finished with a 4.31 ERA, landed on the injured list because of a finger blister, and still found enough peak form to win National League Pitcher of the Month in June and make his third straight All-Star team. For a Giants season that ended without much joy, Webbs award offered a reminder of how much he still meant to the group, and why the question around his next step matters so much. [Read more 🡒]
Jung Hoo Lee Just Sent Giants Fans A Clear Winter Message
Jung Hoo Lee is heading into the winter with the same disciplined approach that helped him finish his season on a high note. The Giants outfielder said he plans to spend the offseason in South Korea and train as if spring training will begin in February, even with an expected work stoppage hanging over the calendar. After closing the year with career highs in batting average, RBIs and home runs, Lee gave the kind of steady, professional update that fits the way he has handled his first stretch with San Francisco.
Manager Tony Vitello has already praised Lees commitment to offseason strength work, and the broader message from the outfielder was just as notable for what it said about the clubs direction. Lee also addressed the Giants roster changes and pointed to the potential impact younger players could have next season, a sign he is already thinking beyond his own individual progress. For a team trying to sort out what comes next, that kind of perspective from one of its most productive players matters. [Read more 🡒]