The White Sox have released right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. He’d been on a minor league deal and pitching with their Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte.
Altavilla, 32, boasts a sharp 2.49 ERA in 21 2/3 frames with the Knights this season, including a recent run of 11 2/3 shutout innings. He’s fanned only 19.8% of his opponents against a bloated 11% walk rate, but it’s been a nice run of run-prevention for the journeyman righty, who’s averaging a hearty 96.1 mph on his four-seamer in Charlotte while yielding a lowly 24.6% hard-hit rate.
A veteran of seven major league seasons, Altavilla did his best work early in his career with the Mariners. From 2016-18, he pitched to a tidy 3.28 earned run average with a 25.3% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate over 79 2/3 frames. Persistent injuries have limited Altavilla’s time on the field, however. He’s managed only 40 total big league innings since that early run with Seattle.
Flexor strains in both 2018 and 2019 shortened two of Altavilla’s seasons with the Mariners. He struggled to a 5.52 ERA in the latter campaign and in 2020 was included alongside Austin Nola and Austin Adams in the lopsided trade that sent Andres Munoz, Ty France, Luis Torrens and Taylor Trammell from San Diego to Seattle. Altavilla then underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021, which wiped out nearly all of his 2021-22 seasons.
Altavilla made a brief big league return with the 2024 Royals, tossing 3 2/3 innings for Kansas City. He was tagged for six runs in that short look and subsequently designated for assignment. The former fifth-round pick spent the rest of the 2024 season with the Royals’ top minor league affiliate in Omaha, where he logged 41 innings with a 3.51 ERA, a league-average 22.2% strikeout rate and a heavy 12.9% walk rate. The rate stats were shaky, but the combined 44 2/3 frames between Triple-A and the majors were the most Altavilla had pitched in a season since 2019.
There’s no indication that Altavilla is dealing with any kind of injury in 2025. He pitched for the Knights just a few days prior to his release and tossed a scoreless inning. As was the case in 2024, Altavilla’s rate stats are a bit wobbly, but he’s throwing hard, limiting hard contact and keeping runs off the board. That should earn him a new opportunity before long.
I assume he either had an opt out in his contract or he asked for his release. He has good AAA numbers this year and a 96mph fastball is pretty darn good too. I’m sure he’ll get picked up by another team in short order. You can’t have enough pitching depth in MLB and Altavilla is good enough for a call up from AAA when needed.
Sox’ pen has been awful. Why wouldn’t they call him up and get rid of one of their terrible relievers?
Yes. Bannister and Katz get a resounding “F” for their work with bullpen arms these past 2 seasons. This is an area where you can accidentally stumble on some trade pieces or develop some draft picks/trade return arms they’ve acquired that aren’t starter material.
Too many walks and get-me-overs that leave the park or XBH.
He was closing in Charlotte too. Bit of a head scratcher.
They really like Penn Murfee maybe.
Imagine if the padres had Munoz and France when he was good during the big 4 era in 2023
Preller is his worst enemy
Could’ve been a potential trade candidate. Better to get something rather than nothing for him.
On the plus side now we know what happened to Scott Linebrink
White Sox sure do some strange things.
Would have to believe he’s on a jet leaving the country.
Probably June 1st clause in his contract. No reason for CWS to try and win games and have a 32 year old on the roster.
Head scratcher until I saw the walk rate. I hate free passes.
I really have no idea what the White Sox are doing.
Why sign a 32-year-old reliever if he throws 21 innings of 2.49 Ball in Charlotte and then release him?
So what if he’s not a part of your future? Your bullpen stinks out loud and Altavilla has a bit of a hot hand going. Why did you even sign him, then? What in the world are you doing? Like, I want another heaping helping of Jared Schuster? Or Cam Booser? Or Miguel Castro?