Matt Blake's next project is clear after SF Giants surprisingly demote fiery All-Star

What if we told you there was a Peak Jonathan Loaisiga clone on the west coast who stayed healthier and was falling out of favor with his previous organization? Is that something Matt Blake and the Yankees might be interested in?

SF Giants closer Camilo Doval saved 39 games last season in remarkably sustainable fashion. His 2.77 FIP actually hinted at progression rather than regression; his ERA was 2.93, and his trademark cutter (99.8 MPH average velocity last season) helped him rack up 87 Ks in 67 2/3 innings.

But ... this season, Doval has taken reliever fungibility to a troublesome new level. And that level? It's low. The Giants used one of Doval's options over the weekend after the right-hander's transformation into timidity spiraled, with three runs allowed in an inning against Washington in what was otherwise a blowout win. He's walked 29 men in 44 frames, following a 2023 season where he walked just 26 men total in nearly 70 innings. Just one year removed from an All-Star appearance, the league has seemingly adjusted to his primary pitch in the zone, and he must find a calculated way to resume attacking without fear.

Yankees' Matt Blake could step in and save Giants' Camilo Doval

Would the Giants really be willing to sell low on the closer this offseason? It sounds absurd on the surface, but given their payroll and modern philosophies, "closer" is by far the position they'd want to pay least moving forward. Farhan Zaidi is at the head of the analytical charge deeming closers largely replaceable and coachable. While the Yankees aren't interested in overpaying at the position, either, Doval is controllable through 2027 and has plainly hit the proverbial wall.

Surely, Zaidi and Co. would've preferred to keep him under lock and key through at least next season, but, as Eno Sarris pointed out, finding a way for Doval to restore his confidence and regain his aggression sounds like a complicated mental and emotional plan. Do the Giants want to endure it? Would the Yankees?

Obviously, a Doval move won't come absurdly cheap this offseason; he's not a 2026 free agent, and the Giants aren't foolish. They demoted him because they care about him and want to give him the freedom to operate out of the spotlight, not because they've decided he's not worth carrying or saving.

Still, whenever an obviously talented reliever is suddenly lacking and requires a mentality shift, but the stuff hasn't changed, Blake's (and every smart pitching coach's) sirens should be going off.