Latest Signing Brings Big League Veteran Back To The Royals

Their eyes weren’t deceiving Kansas City Royals fans who happened to check in on Triple-A Omaha’s Saturday evening contest with Memphis. Mixed in with the carnage of the 13-1 demolition the Storm Chasers suffered at home was the appearance of a familiar face whose brief 2024 stint with the KC organization ended almost as soon as baseball’s winter began.

It happened in the top of the fifth inning when Andrew Pérez, Omaha’s second pitcher of the night, had just given Memphis its sixth run. That’s when Dan Altavilla, fresh from his early week release from the Minnesota organization, emerged from the Storm Chasers’ bullpen and promptly struck out Ramon Mendoza to leave what could have been the Redbirds’ seventh run stranded at third base.

And for good measure, Altavilla secured his place as one of the evening’s few Chaser bright spots by finishing his night’s work with a scoreless fifth inning.

What now lies ahead for this veteran of eight major league seasons?

Dan Altavilla Could Soon Find Himself in the Royals’ Bullpen

Kansas City’s present unfortunate circumstances may force the club to add Altavilla to its struggling relief corps, an alarmingly inconsistent group beset by injuries, including the key loss of closer Carlos Estévez on Opening Day, the continuing struggles of Lucas Erceg, and a 5.22 ERA that, heading into Sunday, tied it with Houston for the majors’ worst bullpen mark.

Bringing up the 33-year-old right-hander, who KC signed to a minor league contract Friday, seems almost inevitable. The bullpen as presently constituted is one of the team’s sorest spots and doesn’t show signs of imminent improvement. While he may not (and probably won’t) be the bullpen panacea the Royals need, he’ll be worth trying if manager Matt Quatraro’s relievers don’t soon right their own ship.

Altavilla has had some success, most notably with Seattle, for whom he went 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA across 22 games in 2018, and in Chicago, where last season he pitched 28 times for the White Sox and finished with a career-best 2.48 ERA and a 172 ERA+. Repeating such numbers could give KC’s bullpen a badly needed boost.

But Altavilla isn’t free of pitching baggage. Hard to ignore is the 14.73 ERA he posted in five games for the Royals after they signed the then-free agent during the 2023-2024 offseason — he gave up six runs on six hits and three walks in just 3.2 innings. Yes, an oblique strain forced him onto the Injured List for most of the season after the Royals called him up from Omaha in June, but those numbers are still troubling and hard to forget.

Then there are ERAs that are simply too high for a reliever, like the 17-game 5.52 he put up with the 2019 Mariners, and the 5.75 mark he posted in 22 appearances split between Seattle and San Diego during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

And he missed most of 2021, and the entire 2022 big league campaign, rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery.

Altavilla quickly opted for free agency after pitching so sparingly for the Royals in 2024. Now, after being released from Minnesota’s Triple-A club, where he gave up 17 runs (16 earned) in 19.2 innings, he brings his four-pitch repertoire, which features a mid-to-high 90s four-seam fastball, back to Kansas City.

Whether the Royals signed him as bullpen depth to be called up only in an emergency, or as a serious contender for a seat in their big league bullpen, remains to be seen.

But don’t be surprised to see him in Kansas City before long.