DALLAS -- Camilo Doval has been the subject of some recent trade rumors, but Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey downplayed the possibility that the former All-Star closer could find himself on the move this offseason.

¡°I want to say on Doval, I'm pretty bullish on him coming back,¡± Posey said Monday on Day 1 of the Winter Meetings. ¡°This guy's got the potential to be a lockdown piece. We've seen it, right? He's got nearly 100 saves in the big leagues. That doesn't happen by accident. I'm excited to have a chance to talk with him. Obviously, getting to catch him, I know the personality a little bit, and I have belief in him being important for us.¡±

Posey knows Doval better than most, as he caught Doval when the 27-year-old flamethrower debuted with the Giants in 2021. Armed with a triple-digit fastball and a devastating slider, Doval took over the closing role by the end of his rookie year and earned his first All-Star nod after recording a National League-high 39 saves in 2023. Still, he couldn¡¯t sustain that level of dominance this past season, logging a career-high 4.88 ERA over 62 relief appearances while dealing with persistent command issues.

Doval¡¯s struggles became so pronounced in the second half that the Giants sent him to Triple-A Sacramento to try to get back on track. Doval returned after a two-week stint in the Minors, but he ended up ceding ninth-inning duties to Ryan Walker, who figures to retain the role heading into 2025.

Doval has been pitching for Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League in an attempt to rebuild his confidence, and the Giants believe the extra reps could help set him up for a bounceback campaign next year.

¡°Everybody¡¯s going to go through some struggles,¡± manager Bob Melvin said. ¡°It¡¯s how you handle it. I think he handled it beautifully. He went down there [to Triple-A], he worked on the things we asked him to. It¡¯s very rare you find guys that throw 99 [mph] and have a wipeout slider. You know hitters are not comfortable in the box. It¡¯s how you kind of process and move forward when you have some struggles. Sometimes it could end up being good for you and make you better. We¡¯re excited about having him back. We¡¯ll see what the roles look like. He¡¯s been a closer, he¡¯s been an All-Star. The stuff hasn¡¯t gone away. There¡¯s a lot to like about him.¡±

The Giants¡¯ bullpen isn¡¯t expected to experience much turnover this offseason, as key cogs such as Walker, Doval and Tyler and Taylor Rogers remain under team control next year. San Francisco should also continue to lean on young relievers like Erik Miller, Randy Rodr¨ªguez and Spencer Bivens, all of whom broke into the Majors in 2024.

¡°I really like the group,¡± general manager Zack Minasian said. ¡°There are pitchers who have kind of been there and done that, as well as younger pitchers that still have more ceiling. Randy Rodr¨ªguez, Tristan Beck. Sean Hjelle had a great year. We¡¯re always open to additions. Given what that group has done and what we think they can do going forward, I wouldn't say it's a priority, but we always want to be open minded. We¡¯re excited about the group.¡±

Worth noting

? Posey wouldn't comment on the Giants¡¯ reported seven-year, $182 million deal with shortstop Willy Adames, which is pending a physical, but he acknowledged that he¡¯s already had a conversation with Tyler Fitzgerald about moving to second base in 2025.

¡°I think Tyler has some real upside at second base,¡± Posey said.

? Posey did weigh in on star outfielder Juan Soto, who reportedly agreed to a record 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets on Sunday night.

¡°My first thought is that my oldest kids will be 28 when he¡¯s done playing,¡± Posey said. ¡°That really puts it in perspective. He¡¯s a generational talent. He¡¯s good. I don¡¯t know what to say other than that. What he does to a lineup, he¡¯s an extraordinary player.¡±

Posey said the Giants had discussions about making a run at Soto, but they ultimately felt they had bigger holes to fill this offseason.

¡°I think we¡¯re just trying to look around and say, what do we think our greatest needs are for the San Francisco Giants next year, and trying to address those needs accordingly,¡± Posey said.