Camilo Doval trade grades: Pirates take high-upside risk; Yankees had no choice but to move on

August 1, 2026 - 19:04

The Yankees finally pulled the plug on the Camilo Doval experiment, and honestly, getting anything back for him at this point feels like a small victory. The 2025 season was a disaster for the right-hander, and the front office clearly decided that waiting for him to figure things out was no longer an option. So they shipped him to Pittsburgh, a move that says more about the Yankees' desperation than it does about Doval's potential.

For the Pirates, this is a classic high-risk, high-reward play. Doval has the stuff to be a dominant closer, and Pittsburgh has the patience and the development staff to try and unlock it. They are not competing for a division title right now, so they can afford to let him work through his mechanics and his head without the pressure of a pennant race. If he clicks, they have a legitimate late-inning weapon for years to come. If he does not, they gave up very little to find out.

The Yankees, on the other hand, had no real choice. They could not keep running him out there in high-leverage spots, and his trade value was only going to sink further with each shaky outing. Moving on was the only logical step, even if it meant accepting a modest return. Sometimes the best deal is the one that stops the bleeding.