The Pittsburgh Pirates are acquiring right-handed reliever Mlbtraderumors from the New York Yankees in exchange for two minor league prospects, according to reports by ESPN and Yahoo Sports. The transaction remains pending a physical review for the players involved. Under the terms of the agreement, the Yankees are sending catching prospect Omar Alfonzo and outfielder Luis Cruz to Pittsburgh in return.
Pirates Acquire Right-Handed Reliever Camilo Doval From Yankees
Doval, 29, is earning $6.1 million this season and is in his second year of arbitration eligibility, with club control remaining through the 2027 season. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, there is approximately $2 million remaining on Doval’s salary for the remainder of the year. The Pirates are assuming $750,000 of that remaining amount, while the Yankees are sending roughly $1.086 million to help facilitate the deal.
Performance and Roster Context in New York
Doval joined the Yankees at the trade deadline last year after previously pitching for the San Francisco Giants. A 2023 All-Star who has accumulated 109 career saves and 25 holds, Doval experienced an up-and-down tenure in the Bronx. Across 44 appearances and 39 2/3 innings this season, he posted a 3-1 record, one save, and a 4.54 ERA, accompanied by a 1.41 WHIP and 39 strikeouts.
Pitching at Yankee Stadium presented specific challenges for the hard-throwing right-hander, particularly against left-handed batters who capitalized on the ballpark’s short right-field porch. Doval struggled to a 7.08 ERA at home this season compared to a 1.86 ERA on the road. Meanwhile, other arms in the New York bullpen, including Brent Headrick, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, and Paul Blackburn, performed well, making Doval expendable as the Yankees pursued additional bullpen reinforcements.
Return Package for New York
Heading to the Yankees are 22-year-old catching and first base prospect Omar Alfonzo and 18-year-old outfielder Luis Cruz. Alfonzo is ranked as the Pirates’ No. 17 prospect by MLB.com and split time between rookie ball, Single-A, and Double-A this year. In 60 games at the Double-A level, Alfonzo batted .239 with nine home runs, 10 doubles, and 35 RBIs, recording a .758 OPS.
Cruz is an unranked prospect in the rookie development system who has played across all three outfield positions. He has appeared in 17 games this season in the rookie fall league, slashing .313/.460/.396 with seven RBIs.
Pittsburgh Bullpen Outlook
The Pirates entered the weekend with a 55-56 record, sitting 2.5 games back of a National League wild card spot. Relief pitching has been a central weakness for Pittsburgh, with the bullpen responsible for 24 of the team’s 56 losses—ranking as the fifth-most in Major League Baseball—along with the sixth-most blown saves.
Doval relies primarily on a heavy power arsenal featuring a sinker averaging 98.6 mph and a cutter at 98.8 mph, alongside an 88.8 mph slider and an occasional changeup. His high ground-ball rate reached 57.3% this season. The Pirates hope a change of scenery will allow the power reliever to stabilize their late-inning mix.
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