Pirates Showing Interest in Enigmatic Yankees Reliever

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Pirates Showing Interest in Enigmatic Yankees Reliever

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Joe Najarian | Last updated Jul 25, 2026 2:38 PM ET

Entering Saturday's action, the Pittsburgh Pirates are only two games out of a Wild Card spot in the National League.

With a legitimate chance to end a decade-long playoff drought, the Pirates will look to be buyers ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. They don't want to be reckless, but they will show urgency in making upgrades to the roster. That was the case during the offseason, when Pittsburgh landed Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn to improve the lineup and reportedly stayed in the sweepstakes for Kyle Schwarber.

Now, the Pirates' biggest need is their bullpen. The unit has the 10th worst ERA in MLB at 4.40, while Pittsburgh's relievers combined for 18 blown saves (sixth-most in the majors). They recently acquired Ron Marinaccio from the San Diego Padres while cutting ties with the struggling Dennis Santana, but the team still needs more.

Pittsburgh's search for a reliable late-inning reliever could take them to a struggling but proven talent currently in the Bronx. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Pirates had expressed interest in right-hander Camilo Doval of the New York Yankees.

https://t.co/sqwaRfookn Taking all the intel gathered and trying to guess -- and I mean guess -- where some top players will be traded (if they are actually traded).
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 25, 2026

A potential obstacle in trading for Doval would be convincing the Yankees to eat the money owed to Doval. The Pirates are making it a priority to upgrade the roster without increasing payroll, as they increased it from $87 million in 2025 to $102 million in 2026. However, the Yankees would want a greater return for Doval if they retain salary in a deal, especially since they plan to be even more aggressive buyers than Pittsburgh.

Trading for Doval would be risky, as the 29-year-old has struggled immensely since donning the pinstripes at last year's trade deadline. He has a 4.86 ERA, 4.70 FIP and -0.1 fWAR in 41 appearances and 37.0 innings pitched this season. Although the righty has exceptional velocity and much lower expected stats (3.56 xERA and 3.84 xFIP), opponents are consistently making loud contact against him.

However, Doval has legitimate experience as a closer. He tallied 107 saves with the San Francisco Giants from 2021 to 2025, including a National League-leading 39 saves in 2023. Across his time in San Francisco, Doval logged a 3.29 ERA and 123 ERA+.

The Pirates have shown some level of interest in Camilo Doval, according to Joel Sherman. pic.twitter.com/mH1eU0KFVT
— Everything Yankees (@eyyankees) July 25, 2026

Doval additionally has a full year of control in 2027 before hitting free agency. This gives any interested teams much-needed time to pinpoint the source of his struggles; with a sinker and cutter that is capable of hitting triple digits, Doval still has the stuff to be successful.

When the Pirates last made the postseason in 2015, they relied heavily on a bullpen that led MLB with a 2.67 ERA. This year, they have interesting options like Mason Montgomery and another former All-Star closer in Gregory Soto. In spite of the elevated ERA, Pirates relievers are excelling at striking hitters out, with their 9.48 K/9 and 23.9% strikeout rate both ranking among the top 10 in MLB.

But if the Pirates were to acquire Doval ahead of the deadline and help him rediscover his past form, then their bullpen suddenly becomes a hard-throwing unit capable of overpowering opponents with velocity.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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