Nabil Crismatt of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during a game at Chase Field on August 26, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Reds defeated the Diamondbacks 8-7 in 11 innings. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
By Conor Liguori
World Baseball Network
The Tigres del Licey of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana have signed right-handed pitchers Nabil Crismatt and Dan Altavilla for the 2023-24 season.
Crismatt has appeared in 109 Major League Baseball games with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks. The reliever has a career 3.76 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 170 innings. This season will be his second stint with the Tigres del Licey after pitching in seven games with the organization during the 2018-19 LIDOM season. Crismatt returned to the Dominican Republic in 2020-21 to play for Estrellas de Oriente.
“Crismatt is a pitcher with a lot of experience in this league,” Tigres del Licey general manager Audo Vicente told reporters. “He is a competitor and gives us depth in the rotation of already solid starters.”
Crismatt, born in Colombia, has represented his country at the 2015 Pan American Games, 2017 World Baseball Classic, and 2023 World Baseball Classic. He took the mound in Colombia’s 5-4 win against Mexico this past March, allowing one earned run on three hits in four innings.
Dan Altavilla has appeared in 119 Major League Baseball games since 2016, playing with the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres. The reliever has a career 4.03 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 116 innings.
Altavilla has not seen Major League Baseball action since the 2021 regular season with the Padres. He signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox in 2022 but did not appear until 2023 due to Tommy John Surgery. Altavilla split this year between the Florida Complex League Red Sox and High-A Greenville. He posted a 3.00 ERA and struck out seven in 12 innings. The Red Sox released Altavilla on August 15.
“Altavilla strengthens an aspect of our team that was very good last year, and that was the bullpen,” Audo Vicente told reporters. “His experience in the Major Leagues and ability to strike hitters out makes us think that he fits quite well in the making of our team.”
Both pitchers join the Tigres del Licey bullpen and have experience starting games in past professional baseball seasons. Crismatt made four starts in 2020-21 for Estrellas de Orientales, and Altavilla’s first 42 appearances in the Seattle Mariners organization came in a starting role. Altavilla had a 4.07 ERA in 28 starts in 2015 as a starter but lowered his ERA to 1.91 as a relief pitcher with Double-A Jackson in 2016.
According to the Tigres del Licey Instagram page, additional Major and Minor League Baseball players the team signed during the offseason include infielder Nate Eaton of the Kansas City Royals, left-handed pitcher Logan Allen of the Seattle Mariners, left-handed pitcher Taylor Lehman of the Philadelphia Phillies, and catcher Jacob Nottingham, who is currently a free agent.
Tigres del Licey will play their first game of the 2023-24 season on October 19 at 7:15 p.m. ET against the Leones del Escogido. The contest will occur at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal, the Tigres del Licey home stadium.