The San Francisco Giants have a huge problem in their bullpen and the team isn’t hiding their dissatisfaction.
Once star closer Camilo Doval has had the worst season of his career and things aren’t getting any better.
San Francisco’s commentator, Mike Krukow, joined the “‘Murph and Markus Morning Show” on KNBR and did not pull any punches when talking about Doval’s struggles.
“I’m p***ed off. I’m p***ed off. That 2-0 lead and that walk. Especially when you had the 1-2 count. That’s unforgivable for a closer,” said an angry Krukow.
The commentator is talking about the June 14 matchup against the Minnesota Twins, in which Doval allowed two runs to come across in the ninth inning, forcing the Giants to win it in extra innings.
“So where do we go from here? I don’t know. I really don’t know. I don’t know if he’s the guy coming out of the break,” Krukow pondered.
The closer had finished each of the last three seasons with a 3.00 ERA or below. Just last season he was named to his first career All-Star team.
Now, his ERA is up to 4.38 and opposing hitters are slashing .248/.351/.400 against him. He’s giving up hits and walking batters at alarming rates, which is the last thing a coach wants out of a closer.
“So where do we go from here? I don’t know. I really don’t know. I don’t know if he’s the guy coming out of the break,” Krukow pondered. “If you’re Bob Melvin, you might even consider that this is something where he needs to go [to the minors], work on a few things. Kind of a head slap, calm down, find out what is important in certain situations.”
It’s clear that the 27-year-old hurler is not sending his best stuff to the plate. With baseball being such a mental game, it’s not surprising to see Krukow suggest a trip to the minor leagues.
It wouldn’t be dissimilar to a rehab assignment, but could also backfire and send the pitcher’s confidence to an all-time low. Doval has also recently been the subject of trade talks if San Francisco decides the risk isn’t worth it.
“I mean quite honestly you have to have a more confident arm in that slot,” the commentator added. “Do you put in Ryan Walker? Do you put in anybody else? What has Tyler Rogers done in high-leverage situation pitching? He’s been great”
Walker has a 1.96 ERA and opponents have just a .182/.255/.280 line in those situations. Rogers is a bit more complicated as he’s done very well when pitching in the eighth inning (a 1.64 ERA) but has gotten shelled in the seven games that he’s pitched in the ninth inning.
While it’s possible that their production doesn’t hold up under the pressures of a closing situation, it’s also clear that something needs to be done about Doval.
