With much of the talk this offseason around the hope that All-Star closer Camilo Doval will return to form this season, the San Francisco Giants did have closer last season.
Ryan Walker slid into the closer role after the Giants optioned Doval back to the minor leagues when he was struggling with his control. Walker had never been a closer before that and he finished the season with 10 saves.
When Doval returned late in the season, the 29-year-old didn’t give the job back. Entering 2025, he’ll be a potential closer option for the Giants.
Walker did it the long way, as he was a 31st round pick of the Giants in 2018 out of Washington State and needed five years to make his Major League debut in 2023.
That’s why he was in a bit of a reflective mood when he spoke to KNBR’s “Murph & Markus” earlier this week. That was a role he never thought he would play.
“It was a dream come true honestly,” Walker said. “Never in my career would I have thought I would have become a closer in the big leagues. I just wanted a job, so this is a pretty amazing opportunity and I’m thankful for the team to even trust me to do this. It was pretty crazy, nobody ever wants to see anyone struggle, that sucks.”
In two seasons in the Giants’ bullpen, Murphy is 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA, with 125 appearances and 14 starts. He’s struck out 177 and walked 42 in 141.1 innings.
But 2024 truly was a breakthrough season for him, as he went 10-4 with a 1.91 ERA in 76 games, but made just one start. He struck out 99 and walked 18 in 80 innings.
Whether he’s the closer or a set-up man, he’s carved out a role. And if Doval is unable to reclaim his previous form, San Francisco has a backup.
Doval isn’t that far removed from his All-Star campaign. In 2023, he went 6-6 with a National League-leading 39 saves and 60 games finished. He struck out 87 and walked 26 in 67.2 innings.
The step back for Doval last season was a surprise. He ended up with a 5-3 record and 23 saves, but his ERA went up from 2.93 in 2023 to 4.88. He also walked 39 in just 59 innings. The control issues led to his demotion to Triple-A Sacramento.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey said earlier this offseason he believes Doval can return to the form he showed in 2023. If so, then Walker would likely return to a set-up role and form a formidable 1-2 tandem in the late innings.
San Francisco expects pitchers and catchers to report on Feb. 12. Position players are expected to report on Feb. 17.
