The SF Giants will have to make a decision on nine different arbitration-eligible players this offseason. While it may seem like the decision whether to tender a contract to or non-tender Camilo Doval will be the toughest choice of the bunch, it should really be a no-brainer for San Francisco: he should be back.

MLB Trade Rumors projects that Doval will earn a contract of roughly $6.6 million next season, but there’s a decent chance the Giants can avoid arbitration and sign him to a deal closer to $6 million. His salary for 2026 was $6.1 million so if they can get him closer to that number that would be fair for a guy who was an elite closer just a few years ago.

Now, one could argue that would be a little pricey for a guy who had a 4.15 ERA last season, but that does not tell the whole story. His time with the New York Yankees was not good, plain and simple. Some guys just do not do well in that environment and Doval seems like he just struggled on that big stage.

Things got a little better after he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, though. He had a 3.79 ERA in 19 innings of work and even though he walked a lot of guys, he seemed to be in a better place. Then when Pittsburgh DFA’d him to save some money the Giants scooped him up and he looked like vintage Camilo in his two outings with San Francisco. He pitched two scoreless innings and struck out four batters going up against the Los Angeles Dodgers and it genuinely seems like he is happy to be back with the team he came up with.

Giants need to bet that Camilo Doval can return to form

Maybe Doval now realizes how good he had it in San Francisco all along. He could be a bit problematic in his first stint with the Giants and two different coaching staffs had some issues with him, but he seems like he has matured a bit and the last year and a half probably made him realize that he had a pretty good situation in San Francisco.

Giants fans remember all the ups and downs he had, but imagine for a second that you have know baggage or preexisting biases when it comes to him. If the Giants signed a free agent pitcher this offseason for $6.5 million and all you knew about him is that he was an All-Star closer in 2023 and over the last three seasons he’s been roughly a league-average pitcher with a 4.18 ERA and 216 strikeouts in 185 innings, you’d think that’s a decent deal.

Remember the Giants once gave Taylor Rogers a three-year, $33 million deal which ended up aging poorly. $11 million is a lot for someone like Doval, but $6.5 million is really not that bad.

In a worst-case scenario he’s not very good and the Giants can DFA him and some other team will be on the hook for the rest of the money he’s owed. That’s not a bad deal so the Giants shouldn’t overthink it and they should bring Doval back for next season. 

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