Right-hander Dan Altavilla has opted out of his minor league deal with the Royals, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He is now a free agent and can be signed by any club.

Altavilla, 33, signed with the Royals in late May. He has been with Triple-A Omaha since then, appearing in 20 games. He logged 24 2/3 innings, allowing 5.11 earned runs per nine. His 42.9% ground ball rate was decent but his matching 15% walk and strikeout rates were both poor figures. The Royals could use some help in the big leagues but it’s not a surprise that they kept Altavilla on the farm with that kind of performance.

He hasn’t been in good form all year. Before signing with the Royals, he was with the Twins on a minor league deal. He posted a 7.32 ERA for Triple-A. St. Paul before being released. Regardless, he has decided to check out the open market as opposed to hanging out in Omaha. Since his numbers this year are poor, he will be banking on a club having interest based on his larger track record. In 148 2/3 big league innings, he has a flat ERA of 4.00. His 12.3% walk rate is high but his 24.4% strikeout rate and 41.8% ground ball rate are both solid figures.

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