The Giants went searching for bullpen help on Thursday and ended up circling back to a familiar face.
San Francisco claimed former closer Camilo Doval off waivers after he was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates, bringing him back to the organization where he had the most success in Major League Baseball. In a corresponding move, the Giants transferred right-handed pitcher Blake Tidwell to the 60-day injured list after his season-ending injury.
Even with three games left in the season, the move says plenty about where the Giants want to go next. After a rough 2026 campaign, the bullpen was one of the obvious areas that needed attention, and President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey may have found a piece he knows well.
Doval’s path back to San Francisco has been a long one. The Giants traded him to the New York Yankees at the MLB Trade Deadline in 2025, and he didn’t match his earlier production there, finishing with a 4.82 ERA in 22 games after the deal.
Before the 2026 season, Doval and New York agreed to a one-year, $6.1 million contract to avoid arbitration. The Yankees were hoping a full season would unlock the version of Doval they remembered from his Giants days, but that didn’t happen. He posted a 4.54 ERA in 39.2 innings across 44 games, struck out 39 batters, and was hit hard enough to finish 10 games out of those 44.
New York later moved him to the Pirates at the MLB Trade Deadline earlier this season, and Pittsburgh got better results. Doval logged a 3.79 ERA in 20 games over 19 innings with 23 strikeouts before the Pirates designated him for assignment when Kirby Yates came off the IL.
Now he’s back where he once thrived. Doval was an All-Star in 2023, and the Giants are betting there’s still something to recover after a few uneven stops away from San Francisco.
The next step, at least according to the path his career has taken, is figuring out his mechanics this offseason. For now, he’s back under Giants control, completing the full trade cycle.
In Other News...
Giants Just Lost A Promising Rotation Option At The Worst Time
Blade Tidwells progress as a starting pitcher had given the Giants a possible rotation answer to keep in mind for the next couple of seasons, which is why the latest update lands so hard. The team has recommended surgery after he was diagnosed with a moderate to severe right UCL sprain, a development that points toward Tommy John surgery and a long rehab ahead.
The timeline alone changes the conversation around his place in the organization, since the recovery window runs 12 to 18 months and wipes out any realistic shot at being part of San Franciscos rotation plans in 2027. For a pitcher who was building momentum in that role, the setback is more than just a medical note, it is another reminder of how quickly rotation depth can disappear. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Are Headed For Painful Offseason Roster Decisions
The Giants have spent most of this season juggling injuries, but the broader problem is coming into focus now: they have 16 players on the 60-day injured list, a historically high total that will follow them into the offseason roster math. Once the 2026 season ends, those players will count against the 40-man limit, turning what has already been a messy year into a far tighter winter.
San Francisco also has 55 players under control for just 40 roster spots, which means the front office is headed for some uncomfortable choices. Some injured players will need to be kept, others may not fit, and the same goes for players already hanging on the edge of the roster. The result is the kind of offseason squeeze that can force a team to part with talent before it is ready to do so. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rotation Problem Is Bigger Than One Cheap Offseason Fix
The Giants pitching picture has gotten a lot murkier than they probably expected when the season started, and it is no longer just a matter of patching one hole. Four young starters have gone down with Tommy John surgery, leaving the club staring at two open spots in next years rotation and a deeper organizational question about how much of the workload it can reasonably expect from its own arms.
That is why the offseason conversation already feels pointed toward affordable help, even if the names are familiar. Michael Lorenzen, Chris Bassitt, Zac Gallen, David Peterson and Tyler Mahle all fit as potential veteran additions on the right kind of deal, while the Giants could also look inward and give younger pitchers a chance to compete. However it plays out, the sense is that San Francisco will need at least one inexpensive starter, and probably more than that, before the rotation can feel stable again. [Read more 🡒]