Pirates get: RHR Camilo Doval
Yankees get: C Omar Alfonzo and OF Luis Cruz

Yankees cut bait on a year of underwhelming returns

Pirates: B-
Yankees: B-

One year and a day after sending four prospects to San Francisco for Doval, the Yankees are moving on. His tenure in the Bronx proved to be a bust. The right-hander posted a 4.63 ERA as a Yankee and never solved the command riddles that made him expendable for the Giants in the first place. He was used sparingly in recent weeks, and rarely in high-leverage moments.

So what, exactly, enticed the Pirates? Doval still throws with elite velocity. His 98.8 mph cutter tops the sport’s leaderboard, and only a handful of relievers can generate more heat on a sinker than Doval can at 98.6 mph. He produces tons of groundballs. He’s a reliever, and no one really knows anything when it comes to relievers, so it stands to reason Pittsburgh could fiddle with the knobs on Doval’s delivery and pitch selection to produce better results.

If Doval can throw more strikes, he could regain the form that made him an All-Star in 2023. Then again, if he could throw more strikes, he would probably not have been traded twice in 366 days.

Alfonzo, a left-handed-hitting catcher, is the more notable of the two prospects headed to the Yankees. MLB Pipeline rated him the No. 17 prospect in Pittsburgh’s system. He does not hit for average, which may prevent him from profiling as anything more than a backup. Cruz, an 18-year-old outfielder, has not shown much power in the Dominican Summer League.

It’s an interesting little deal that may not amount to much. The Yankees are punting on a player who didn’t work out. The Pirates are taking a flier on a talented guy who hasn’t pitched well in a while. — Andy McCullough

Pirates take a chance on a reclamation project in Doval

Pirates: B-
Yankees: C+

The Yankees are not selling — that would be silly, given their 98.3 percent chance of making the postseason, per Baseball-Reference — so this is another trade between contenders: New York is currently the first AL Wild Card, while Pittsburgh is 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot in the NL.

The Pirates currently rank 18th out of 30 teams in fWAR from their relievers, so Doval could help, but it depends on which version of Doval they can tweak him into.

This year, he’s 3-1, but with just one save and as many blown saves (four) as holds, posting a -0.8 bWAR. The Yankees were working with him until the end of his tenure, but decided to cut bait in the end.

Doval’s salary this year is $6.1 million. That’s more than you usually see a Pirates reliever making. They’re only on the hook for the prorated remainder, but he should receive a raise in arbitration this year, so this may be — in addition to help for this year’s playoff push — an extended audition for the 2027 team. If they can get him back to All-Star form, great. If not, well … that’s what the non-tender deadline is for, I suppose.

The prospects the Yankees got in return aren’t likely to fire up the group chats in the Bronx. Cruz is 19 and hasn’t played above the Dominican Leagues, while Alfonzo is a 22-year old catcher with a bit of pop and a career .746 OPS in 420 games over six seasons. He’s currently hitting .239 with nine home runs and a .758 OPS in 60 games.

Alfonzo is the son of Eliezer Alfonzo Sr., a catcher who played parts of six MLB seasons from 2006-2011. Alfonzo’s brother, Eliezer Alfonzo Jr., debuted earlier this year with the Dodgers under tragic circumstances. — Levi Weaver