Pirates get: RHR Camilo Doval
Yankees get: C Omar Alfonzo and OF Luis Cruz<\/p>\n
Yankees cut bait on a year of underwhelming returns<\/p>\n
Pirates: B-
Yankees: B-<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
So what, exactly, enticed the Pirates? Doval still throws with elite velocity. His 98.8 mph cutter tops the sport\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s delivery and pitch selection to produce better results.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an interesting little deal that may not amount to much. The Yankees are punting on a player who didn\u2019t work out. The Pirates are taking a flier on a talented guy who hasn\u2019t pitched well in a while. \u2014 Andy McCullough<\/p>\n
Pirates take a chance on a reclamation project in Doval<\/p>\n
Pirates: B-
Yankees: C+<\/p>\n
The Yankees are not selling \u2014 that would be silly, given their 98.3 percent chance of making the postseason, per Baseball-Reference \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
This year, he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Doval\u2019s salary this year is $6.1 million. That\u2019s more than you usually see a Pirates reliever making. They\u2019re only on the hook for the prorated remainder, but he should receive a raise in arbitration this year, so this may be \u2014 in addition to help for this year\u2019s playoff push \u2014 an extended audition for the 2027 team. If they can get him back to All-Star form, great. If not, well \u2026 that\u2019s what the non-tender deadline is for, I suppose.<\/p>\n
The prospects the Yankees got in return aren\u2019t likely to fire up the group chats in the Bronx. Cruz is 19 and hasn\u2019t 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\u2019s currently hitting .239 with nine home runs and a .758 OPS in 60 games.<\/p>\n