Buster Posey isn’t pretending the Giants’ bullpen was good enough in 2026. He said it plainly, and that honesty matters here because Camilo Doval’s return gives San Francisco a real chance to fix one of its messiest spots.
Doval is back in Giants colors after the club moved quickly once the Pittsburgh Pirates designated him for assignment. He’s hardly a stranger to the organization, either. The right-hander owns a 3.27 career ERA with San Francisco, and now the Giants have to figure out whether he’s part of the answer going forward or just a familiar face for the moment.
Posey was asked about that future during his 2026 assessment press conference, with the conversation centering on what Doval might mean for the 2027 team. Posey didn’t lock anything in, but he made clear the arm talent is still there.
"It's discussions that we'll have with the rest of the front office. He's obviously a big arm.
Shown the ability to get strikeouts. The walks have kind of trended in the wrong direction.
Always been a guy that had a tendency to walk a guy. So, I think we'll just have to keep having a conversation with our group and try to make the best decision we can with the bullpen," Posey said.
Then he added a note that says plenty about the reunion itself.
"But, it's nice to have him, and it was great to see him too, and I just think I saw him smile more in these last three days here than I did his last year playing."
That smile may be the easiest part of the equation. The harder part is whether Doval can get his command back.
Away from San Francisco, things went sideways. He lost his closer role with the Yankees and put up inflated ERAs with both New York and Pittsburgh before the Pirates turned to Kirby Yates instead.
The Giants’ bullpen needs help, and Posey admitted he didn’t build it well enough. Bringing Doval back at least gives them a live arm with a track record in orange and black. If he can recapture the version that made him an All-Star for the Giants in 2023, this could look like a smart reunion instead of just a sentimental one.
Doval is heading into his final year of arbitration after making $6.1 million with New York this past season, and he made his preference clear to Maria Guardado of MLB.com.
“If it were up to me, I’d stay here for the rest of my career. I like being here.
This is where I got my start, and I know this is where I can get back to being the All-Star that I used to be. I’m 100% sure that I can do that," Doval said via Maria Guardado of MLB.com.
For now, the Giants have time. The offseason is long, but the decision on Doval is one they’ll need to circle early, because this is a player who already knows where he wants to be.
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