The New York Yankees traded right-hander Camilo Doval to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday for two minor-league prospects, catcher Omar Alfonzo (22) and outfielder Luis Cruz (18); the Yankees will pay part of Doval’s remaining 2026 salary. Doval, whom New York acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the 2025 trade deadline, has struggled this season with a 4.54 ERA and the lowest strikeout rate of his six-year career while still inducing lots of groundballs; his sinker and cutter have graded out as the worst of his career by Stuff+. Yankees manager Aaron Boone relegated Doval to mop-up duty after recent struggles, a trend made plain during the July 22 doubleheader against Pittsburgh when the team used starter Will Warren to finish a game. Doval has one year of club control remaining before free agency after the 2027 season and retains extreme platoon splits, with a .478 OPS allowed to right-handed hitters versus a .999 OPS allowed to lefties. The Pirates, 55-56 and 2.5 games back of the third NL wild-card spot, have a 4.38 bullpen ERA (23rd in MLB) and acquired Doval to bolster late-inning relief as they push to end an 11-year postseason drought. Alfonzo hit .239/.338/.420 with a .758 OPS in 60 Double-A games this year and is listed as Pittsburgh’s No. 19 prospect; Cruz has an .843 OPS in 50 DSL at-bats and was playing with the Pirates’ Dominican rookie affiliate. The trade gives Pittsburgh a veteran arm for its struggling bullpen while the Yankees add two young position-player prospects and shed salary risk.
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