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Rebuilding Guardians trade pitchers Shane Bieber and Paul Sewald to contending Blue Jays and Tigers

Pitcher Shane Bieber is headed to the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays in a deal with the rebuilding Cleveland Guardians, who also dealt right-hander Paul Sewald in the division to the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

The Guardians began trade deadline day in second place in the AL Central, nine games behind Detroit and potentially in the wild-card race, but their moves signal this has become a spiraling season.

Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase, a three-time All-Star, was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting earlier in the week.

Luis Ortiz also is on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31, stemming from an investigation regarding in-game prop bets on two pitches thrown by the right-hander that received higher activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and against St. Louis on June 27. The gambling activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting integrity firm and forwarded to MLB.

Bieber, who is working his way back from April 2024 Tommy John surgery, has made five rehab starts. His most recent outing was Tuesday for Double-A Akron, in which he allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven in four innings. His next rehab start was scheduled for Sunday.

The Guardians are getting right-hander Khal Stephen from the Blue Jays.

Bieber had spent his entire career in Cleveland, including winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2020. He has a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA and 958 strikeouts in 136 games, with 134 starts since his debut in 2018.

He agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract last fall with a $16 million player option for 2026.

The 22-year old Stephen has a combined record of 9-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 18 games, with 17 starts, in the Blue Jays’ farm system this season. He was a second-round selection (59th overall) by Toronto in the 2024 amateur draft. He made one start for Double-A New Hampshire following his promotion on July 20 before being placed on the injured list with right shoulder impingement.

Cleveland traded Sewald to Detroit for a player to be named later.

The Tigers bolstered their bullpen with the 35-year-old Sewald, who is eligible to return from the injured list on Sunday after being shut down with a strained right shoulder.

Sewald is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA in 18 games this season, averaging more than one strikeout each inning. He is 21-26 with a 4.11 ERA with 86 saves in 377 appearances with the New York Mets, Seattle, Arizona and Cleveland.

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Donte DiVincenzo will not play for Italy at EuroBasket as turf toe issue flares up

Donte DiVincenzo missed 18 games in the middle of last season due to a turf toe condition, but returned to play in February, and he came off the bench for 25 critical minutes a game during the Timberwolves' run to the Western Conference Finals last postseason.

This summer, DiVincenzo was granted Italian citizenship, just in time for him to lace them up for the Italian national team at EuroBasket. However, when he began practicing for the tournament, the toe issue flared up again, forcing him to announce he would be unable to play for the team in this summer's event.

"Unfortunately, I'm sorry I will not be able to join the national team this summer due to a physical issue that over the last few days forced me to make this difficult, difficult decision. But my goal remains the same. It remains with the journey of Italian basketball going forward, you know, World Cup and the Olympics, and for a very long time. So I just wanted to show my commitment, send my best of luck to the team, and see you all soon."

The Timberwolves see this as more precautionary and expect DiVincenzo to be ready for the next NBA season, reports Jon Krawczynski at The Athletic.

DiVincenzo averaged 11.7 points in almost 26 minutes a game off the bench for the Timberwolves last season. He shot 39.7% on 3-pointers and was a plus defender for the team, his versatility fitting into a variety of lineups.

EuroBasket will feature a number of NBA players, including stars such as Luka Doncic (Slovenia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece). EuroBasket will run from Aug. 27 through Sept. 14, and will be co-hosted by Cyprus, Finland, Poland, and Latvia.

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Golden Knights: Community Ties Beyond The Ice

The community has always been at the forefront of everything the Golden Knights organization does, and while it may be the off-season, that doesn’t mean there can’t still be pucks in play. 

The Knights organization spent mid-July on their annual road trip with a series of free youth on-ice hockey clinics. 

Northern Nevada was the first stop for the Knights' staff. The first round of 100 kids ages 5 to 13 took part in two on-ice hockey clinics. Led by Sheri Hudspeth, Director of Youth Hockey Programs, and her devoted team of coaches, the sessions were packed with energy. Golden Knights broadcaster Shane Hnidy and Tahoe Knight Monsters forward Anthony Collins joined in, offering their guidance to all of the young participants.

The young players learned new skills, met mascots Chance and Tessie, and most importantly made new hockey memories. Families traveled from all over to be part of the experience. There was one family that stood out, Marco and Cici, who brought their son, Michael all the way from London to grow as an athlete under the Knights' guidance.

“The UK hockey training is so limited," Marco said. "Resources are so limited, so we have to wake up at five in the morning. As a parent, we have to drop him off at the ice rink, and we’ve been doing this for four years.”

Michael’s passion for the sport began when his school's headmaster introduced him to the game. Since then, he’s built confidence, made friends, and immersed himself in the world of hockey. Marco would often catch Michael watching NHL highlights on YouTube.

"He really enjoys the training and has built the confidence while playing on a team which really changed his life," Marco said. "We enjoy watching it.”

After the visit to South Tahoe the VGK crew headed to Reno Ice for another round of sold-out clinics, including an NHL Learn to Play session. The second batch of 150 kids laced up their skates to train with Hudspeth, Hnidy, Chance, Tessie, and Archie, the mascot of the Reno Aces. With support from local coaches, the young athletes participated in drills and scrimmages. The team also donated hockey equipment to support the growth of girls’ hockey in Northern Nevada.

Following the Northern Nevada run the Knights regrouped to head over to Arizona, and although it was a different place the mission remained the same. 

Former Vegas alternate captain Deryk Engelland joined the team to skate with over 150 young players. With drills and games underway on the ice, off the ice families enjoyed giveaways like trading cards, sunglasses, bracelets, and the 2024–25 VGK Yearbook.

The Knights Foundation also hosted a ball hockey clinic at Sunnyslope Community Center, where Engelland, D’Uva, and Hudspeth led kids through skills training and answered questions from young fans eager to learn more about the game.

Later, the team headed to Ice Den Scottsdale, where 140 kids took part in three more on-ice clinics. Goucher and D’Uva hosted a Q&A with fans, offering a behind-the-scenes look at life as VGK broadcasters. One lucky attendee even won four tickets to a home game for the upcoming season.

Amongst all the action a Spanish-language ball hockey clinic at the Chicanos Por La Causa Community Center, was hosted by LosVGK. The final stop on the trip brought the team to Mullett Arena, where they were joined by men’s and women’s hockey players from Arizona State University.

This year marked the first time Arizona was included in the VGK Road Trip, and it proved successful. During the duration of the 2,127-mile trip more than 700 kids participated, further strengthening the future of hockey.

PHOTO COURTESY: Vegas Golden Knights

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LeBron James and Maverick Carter meet with Nikola Jokic's agent about starting a new league

Nikola Jokic (L) of Serbia and LeBron James of United States compete during the Paris 2024 Olympics Games in Paris, France.
Nikola Jokic, left, of Serbia and LeBron James of the United States compete during the Paris 2024 Olympics Games at Bercy Arena on Aug. 8, 2024. (Manu Reino / Getty Images)

A proposed international league described as the F1 of basketball gained attention over the weekend when Misko Raznatovic, the agent for Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, posted a photo on Instagram of him meeting in shorts and bare feet with LeBron James and the Lakers star's business partner Maverick Carter on a yacht off the coast of the French Riviera.

Raznatovic accompanied the photo with an intriguing comment: "The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026! @kingjames@mavcarter

The post triggered speculation that perhaps James and Jokic could team up on either the Lakers or Nuggets, but more likely it suggests James has more than a peripheral interest in the new league.

Front Office Sports reported in January that Carter was advising a group of investors trying to raise $5 billion to jump-start the league but that James wasn't involved. That may have changed.

Read more:Luka Doncic takes a jab at Mavericks while showing off his revenge body

So what's the league about?

Early discussions are of a touring model with six men’s and six women’s teams playing in eight cities, none of which is likely to be in the United States. Investors include the Singapore government, SC Holdings, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, a Macau casino operator, UBS, Skype founder Geoff Prentice and former Facebook executive Grady Burnett, according to the Financial Times. Reports have linked VC firm Quiet Capital, tech investor Byron Deeter and Hong Kong-based Galaxy Entertainment to the effort.

Investors are leaning toward not allowing players in the league unless they cut ties with the NBA, making the model somewhat like LIV Golf — the professional circuit funded by (PIF). A better comparison in terms of format and scale might be Formula 1 Racing, which holds 24 races a year across five continents.

Raznatovic's involvement would be key. His Belgrade, Serbia, agency BeoBasket has a partnership with Excel Sports Management and represents dozens of top European players, including Clippers center Ivica Zubac.

Read more:NBA's Marcus Morris Sr. out of jail after 2 days without bail. 'Money paid back and lesson learned'

The EuroLeague is currently recognized as the world's second-best basketball circuit, but can't come close to paying players NBA-level salaries.

If Raznatovic's social media post is an indication, the new league could launch as soon as the fall of 2026. Until then, fans wanting an alternative to the NBA can check out Ice Cube's tour-based Big3 basketball league, which makes its single stop in Los Angeles on Aug. 9.

The LA Riot, coached by Nick Young and starring Dwight Howard and Jordan Crawford, will play the Boston Ball Hogs at the Intuit Dome at 1 p.m. PDT.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Summer McIntosh wins third gold of swimming worlds as Marchand dazzles

  • McIntosh swims second-fastest 200 fly in history

  • Marchand wins gold but misses own world record

  • Popovici adds 100m title to 200m freestyle crown

Summer McIntosh came within a whisker of breaking a long-standing world record and Léon Marchand failed to improve on a new mark he set just a night earlier, but both young guns won gold medals at the world championships in Singapore on Thursday.

Romania’s David Popovici also flirted with a record on day five at the World Aquatics Championships Arena, the 20-year-old claiming a thrilling 100 metres freestyle gold to go with his 200 crown on day three.

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Yankees among teams in the mix for Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara: report

As the 6 p.m. MLB trade deadline draws nearer, the Yankees appear focused on adding pitching, both in the rotation and in the bullpen.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yanks are among the teams interesting in Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara.

The Astros, Cubs, and Red Sox are also said to be in on the right-hander.

Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young winner, hasn’t looked like himself this season after missing all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery.

Overall, Alcantara has pitched to a 6.36 ERA in 21 starts this season, but he’s recently begun to show signs of being his former self. Over his last two starts, Alcantara has pitched 12.0 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits while striking out eight and walking three.

The 29-year-old is under contract through the 2027 season, which includes a club option for $21 million in that final 2027 season.

Meanwhile, the Yankees also seem committed to improving their bullpen, with SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reporting that they are still “hoping/expecting” to trade for bullpen help, though the team wants to hold on to names like Jasson Dominguez, Ben Rice, Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., and Cam Schlittler.

On Wednesday, big names like Jhoan Duran, Tyler Rogers, and Ryan Helsley were moved, and the Padres made a huge splash on Thursday by landing Mason Miller from the A's.

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Yankees reportedly land Pirates' David Bednar in MLB trade deadline splash

Yankees reportedly land Pirates' David Bednar in MLB trade deadline splash originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New York Yankees have made an MLB trade deadline day splash.

New York is acquiring two-time All-Star closer David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to multiple reports on Thursday.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was first to report the deal.

New York reportedly is sending a trio of prospects to Pittsburgh: catchers Rafael Flores and Edgleen Perez, along with outfielder Brian Sanchez. Flores and Perez were the Yankees’ eighth- and 14th-ranked prospects, respectively, according to MLB.com.

Bednar, 30, has rebounded from a down 2024 campaign, sporting a 2.37 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 10 walks in 38 innings across 42 appearances this season. The right-hander is also a perfect 17-for-17 in save opportunities.

Bedar was an All-Star in back-to-back seasons before his ERA ballooned to 5.77 in 2024.

Bednar is under club control for one more season beyond 2025.

This story is being updated.

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Yankees reportedly land Pirates' David Bednar in MLB trade deadline splash

Yankees reportedly land Pirates' David Bednar in MLB trade deadline splash originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The New York Yankees have made an MLB trade deadline day splash.

New York is acquiring two-time All-Star closer David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to multiple reports on Thursday.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was first to report the deal.

New York reportedly is sending a trio of prospects to Pittsburgh: catchers Rafael Flores and Edgleen Perez, along with outfielder Brian Sanchez. Flores and Perez were the Yankees’ eighth- and 14th-ranked prospects, respectively, according to MLB.com.

Bednar, 30, has rebounded from a down 2024 campaign, sporting a 2.37 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 10 walks in 38 innings across 42 appearances this season. The right-hander is also a perfect 17-for-17 in save opportunities.

Bedar was an All-Star in back-to-back seasons before his ERA ballooned to 5.77 in 2024.

Bednar is under club control for one more season beyond 2025.

This story is being updated.

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Knicks Mailbag: How many games will NY win this season under Mike Brown?

It's another edition of Knicks' Mailbag with SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley ready to answer your questions surrounding the Knicks. Let's get started.

Is Ben Simmons a realistic option for the final Veteran spot? — @2lowtech

Ben Simmons is certainly a candidate for the Knicks’ final roster spot. As of earlier this week, New York continued to show strong interest in signing Simmons as teams in on Simmons await his decision.

He’s garnered interest from several teams around the league. The Knicks also have maintained interest in Landry Shamet for that final roster spot.

New York’s team salary cannot exceed the second apron ($207.8 million). They have enough money to sign a rookie free agent (it seems to me that Kevin McCullar is the best candidate for that spot) and a veteran to a minimum deal.

They would need to make a trade in order to add a third player on a traditional NBA deal. All of New York’s two-way spots are open as well. 

Hey Ian, my questions are why is there a delay on the Knicks filling the remaining vet min contract spot? Is the team holding out in case other players may be released? Are they waiting for a player to except an offer, if one was indeed made? — @Btruetolife

Hey, what’s up, Brutus? I’m not sure of the reasons behind the timing here. I know people in the organization have interest in Simmons and other people in the organization have interest in Shamet. I can only assume that they are weighing their options internally with respect to positional need.

Hey Ian Begley, just wanted to know if new Knicks head coach Mike Brown will have somewhat of a say on who should get the final vet minimum roster spot. — @CarlSanddude32

Yes, new Knicks head coach Mike Brown will have a say in the final veteran signing here. The Knicks and Brown emphasized that there will be collaboration between the head coach and the front office. That means Brown will certainly have a voice when it comes to personnel matters. Tom Thibodeau also had influence on personnel moves during his tenure in New York. Thibodeau didn’t get every player he wanted, but his opinion was definitely taken into account ahead of personnel moves.

Have you heard any rumblings about Malcolm Brogdon? — @KnicksRants

This comes down to positional preference. Do the Knicks want a wing for that final spot or do they want a ball-handler? Unless they make a trade, they have to choose between one of those positions. Any team that is in the market for a ball-handler would have to at least be considering Malcolm Brodgon. A few years ago, the Knicks did not have strong interest in trading for Brodgon in the middle of the season. But this is a different team with different circumstances. I’m sure Brogdon will at least be under consideration until they figure things out with the final roster spot.

Has Diawara shown enough to earn a 2 way contact? — @2lowtech

I think he has. He had some really strong stretches in Summer League. A two-way deal would give Diawara a great opportunity to spend some time with the big club while getting game reps in Westchester.

Who are some assistant coaches that the Knicks could hire, now that James Borrego is staying in NOLA? — @JayKnicky

Hey Jay, the name that I know of at the moment is Brendan O’Connor from the Clippers. Sorry I don’t have anything new there. As noted last week, Pablo Prigioni decided to stay in Minnesota after talking to the Knicks. O’Connor has a strong defensive acumen and has worked for the Clippers  under both Ty Lue and Doc Rivers. The Knicks will presumably continue to look for an assistant to help on offense even if they add O’Connor to help guide the defense.

In your own person opinion, do you think this front office has made any missteps either this offseason or over the past few years? — @wieder_jason

In my opinion? Absolutely. This front office has done really well. But even the best front offices make mistakes. The one I look at is Obi Toppin. Toppin never had a clear path to significant minutes because he was behind an All-NBA player in Julius Randle. The Knicks then traded Toppin for a minimal return and he developed into an important rotation player for the Eastern Conference champion Pacers. Again, all front offices make mistakes. But this Knicks front office, along with former head coach Thibodeau, has helped the team win consistently for the first time since the turn of the century. They have done very well in a big picture sense. The next big decision for the group is on Mikal Bridges’ extension. The Bridges trade was a big swing by the front office. Obviously, it’s too early to know if it was the right move. 

Can you ball park a win total for Mike Brown’s first year as head coach? — @Knickanator_

Hmmm I’ll go with 49, Knickinator. I’ll go with that number based on the assumption that Brown plays his starters fewer minutes than they played last season. I’ll also go with that number based on the assumption that the Knicks and Brown endure some growing pains over the course of the regular season.

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Giants trade outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to Royals at 2025 MLB trade deadline

Giants trade outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to Royals at 2025 MLB trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants stayed active in the waning moments of the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

San Francisco traded veteran outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Yunior Marte on Thursday, with the latter confirming the move’s official status.

MLB Media’s Mark Feinsand was first to report the deal.

Yastrzemski spent his entire seven-year MLB career with the Giants, serving as a crucial part of San Francisco’s roster for the better part of a decade, appearing in 790 games as a member of the Orange and Black.

The 34-year-old outfielder hit .231 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs in 96 appearances for the Giants during the 2025 MLB season.

Marte is ranked as the Royals’ No. 20 overall prospect. The 21-year-old pitcher has a 2.74 ERA in 82 innings of work this season for Kansas City’s Single-A affiliate, Columbia Fireflies.

Yastrzemski left Giants fans with one more fond memory on his way out after recording a sensational catch on Wednesday in what ultimately proved to be his final game with San Francisco.

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Cubs add pitching depth with Michael Soroka, Andrew Kittredge

The Chicago Cubs bolstered their pitching staff ahead of the trade deadline by adding right-handers Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals and Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles.

Washington received minor league infielder Ronny Cruz and outfielder Christian Franklin in the Soroka trade. Baltimore got minor league infielder Wilfri De La Cruz in return for Kittredge.

An All-Star in 2019 with Atlanta, the 27-year-old Soroka is 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA this season for the Nationals, who signed him to a one-year, $9 million contract in the offseason. He should provide depth in the Cubs’ rotation behind Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga.

The Canadian is 20-26 with a 3.91 ERA in six major league seasons. He tore his right Achilles tendon on a routine fielding play in 2020, and then injured the same tendon while walking into Atlanta’s ballpark the following year. He missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Soroka went 0-10 with a 4.74 ERA last season for the Chicago White Sox.

The 35-year-old Kittredge was an All-Star in 2021 and has a 3.44 ERA over nine seasons. The reliever has a 3.45 ERA in 31 games this season. He signed a $9 million, one-year deal with Baltimore last offseason that includes a $9 million club option for 2026 with a $1 million buyout.

The Cubs trail the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers by one game after beating them 10-3. Chicago gave a contract extension to president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who has assembled an entertaining squad led by breakout star Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Cubs have not won a playoff series since 2017, the year after they won their first World Series in 108 years.

The Nationals are last in the NL East and fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez.

Soroka was pulled after allowing two runs in 3 1/3 innings at Houston as the Nationals shopped him. He has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts.

Washington also dealt relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis García to the Los Angeles Angels for prospects, and veterans Kyle Finnegan, Josh Bell and Paul DeJong are candidates to be traded before the deadline.

The 18-year-old Cruz joins Washington’s farm system after batting .270 this season for the Cubs’ Rookie-level Arizona Complex League squad. The 25-year-old Franklin is batting .265 with eight homers this season for Triple-A Iowa.

The 17-year-old De La Cruz was one of Chicago’s top international signings in 2025 as a switch-hitter with power potential. He was ranked the Cubs’ 20th-best prospect by Baseball America prior to the trade.

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Source: Giants trade star closer Camilo Doval to Yankees at 2025 MLB deadline

Source: Giants trade star closer Camilo Doval to Yankees at 2025 MLB deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — A day after they traded their reliable setup man, the Giants parted ways with their closer. 

San Francisco traded former All-Star closer Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area after ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the news.

The Giants acquired infielders Jesús Rodríguez, Parks Harber, right-handed pitcher Trystan Vrieling and left-handed pitcher Carlos De La Rosa, YES Network’s Jack Curry reported.

Doval’s departure is much less of a surprise than the Wednesday trade of Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets. There were rumors in the offseason, and the market has been strong for teams willing to part with hard-throwing late-inning relievers. After they dropped an ugly game Tuesday night, the Giants sped up the pace of talks centered around Doval and Rogers, who was dealt early in a loss that clinched an 0-6 homestand. 

Doval, 28, saved 107 games in parts of five seasons with the Giants and ranked seventh on the organization’s all-time saves list. After debuting early in 2021, he was so dominant down the stretch of that season that he became a rookie closer on a 107-win team that won the NL West. 

Doval was an All-Star two years later and led the National League in saves, leading the previous front office to discuss a long-term extension. That never got completed, and late last season, Doval’s inconsistency led to a brief trip back to Triple-A. 

When right, Doval is as electric as any reliever in the game, but two different coaching staffs had trouble getting through to him at times. He always has struggled with holding runners and is prone to lapses in focus, but he rededicated himself after a rough 2024. Doval took on more of a leadership role this spring and did a better job of controlling the running game and pitching with pace, and when Ryan Walker struggled, he returned to the closer role. 

In 29 appearances, Doval had a 3.09 ERA and 15 saves. He gave up 10 earned runs over a 10-appearance stretch in late June and early July, but with scouts watching closely this week, he was dominant in two appearances against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Doval gave up a leadoff single in the top of the ninth Wednesday and then struck out Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz. That ended up being his final appearance in orange and black. 

In a span of two days, the Giants traded relievers who rank first (Rogers) and third (Doval) in appearances in the National League since the start of 2022. They have raised the white flag, but they did well in terms of restocking their 40-man roster. The trade market for back-end relievers exploded, and Buster Posey took advantage. 

Randy Rodriguez will now become the closer, although it’ll be a different look. Rodriguez has been as good as any pitcher in the NL this season, but his workload needs to be watched closely, and he was unavailable for the entire Pirates series after going back-to-back against the Mets over the weekend. It’ll be a much different situation from Doval, who often complained that he wasn’t used enough. 

Beyond that, the Giants have a lot to figure out in their bullpen. They have lost two of their three most reliable arms, stripping plenty of talent from a group that kept them afloat through the first half.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Giants reportedly trade star closer Camilo Doval to Yankees at 2025 MLB deadline

Giants reportedly trade star closer Camilo Doval to Yankees at 2025 MLB deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — A day after they traded their reliable setup man, the Giants parted ways with their closer. 

San Francisco traded former All-Star closer Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported. The Giants will acquire infielders Jesús Rodríguez, Parks Harber, right-handed pitcher Trystan Vrieling and left-handed pitcher Carlos De La Rosa, YES Network’s Jack Curry reported.

Doval’s departure is much less of a surprise than the Wednesday trade of Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets. There were rumors in the offseason, and the market has been strong for teams willing to part with hard-throwing late-inning relievers. After they dropped an ugly game Tuesday night, the Giants sped up the pace of talks centered around Doval and Rogers, who was dealt early in a loss that clinched an 0-6 homestand. 

Doval, 28, saved 107 games in parts of five seasons with the Giants and ranked seventh on the organization’s all-time saves list. After debuting early in 2021, he was so dominant down the stretch of that season that he became a rookie closer on a 107-win team that won the NL West. 

Doval was an All-Star two years later and led the National League in saves, leading the previous front office to discuss a long-term extension. That never got completed, and late last season, Doval’s inconsistency led to a brief trip back to Triple-A. 

When right, Doval is as electric as any reliever in the game, but two different coaching staffs had trouble getting through to him at times. He always has struggled with holding runners and is prone to lapses in focus, but he rededicated himself after a rough 2024. Doval took on more of a leadership role this spring and did a better job of controlling the running game and pitching with pace, and when Ryan Walker struggled, he returned to the closer role. 

In 29 appearances, Doval had a 3.09 ERA and 15 saves. He gave up 10 earned runs over a 10-appearance stretch in late June and early July, but with scouts watching closely this week, he was dominant in two appearances against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Doval gave up a leadoff single in the top of the ninth Wednesday and then struck out Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz. That ended up being his final appearance in orange and black. 

In a span of two days, the Giants traded relievers who rank first (Rogers) and third (Doval) in appearances in the National League since the start of 2022. They have raised the white flag, but they did well in terms of restocking their 40-man roster. The trade market for back-end relievers exploded, and Buster Posey took advantage. 

Randy Rodriguez will now become the closer, although it’ll be a different look. Rodriguez has been as good as any pitcher in the NL this season, but his workload needs to be watched closely, and he was unavailable for the entire Pirates series after going back-to-back against the Mets over the weekend. It’ll be a much different situation from Doval, who often complained that he wasn’t used enough. 

Beyond that, the Giants have a lot to figure out in their bullpen. They have lost two of their three most reliable arms, stripping plenty of talent from a group that kept them afloat through the first half.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Mollie O’Callaghan equals Ian Thorpe’s record with 11th world championship gold

  • Star anchors 4x200m freestyle relay team to win

  • Kyle Chalmers takes bronze in 100m freestyle

Mollie O’Callaghan has equalled the Australian record for world championship golds after anchoring the women to victory in the 4x200m freestyle relay in Singapore.

By securing her 11th career world title on Thursday night, the 21-year-old equalled Ian Thorpe’s Australian record.

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