Veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle will not be heading to the New York Yankees for his third tour of duty, as the righty is staying with the Boston Red Sox organization, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
Kahnle exercised the upward mobility clause in his contract on Friday, May 1. That made him available to every other team in the league. If another club were willing to add Kahnle to the big-league roster, Boston would be forced to do the same or allow him to depart the organization. No team stepped in to snag Kahnle. He’s expected to remain with Triple-A Worcester.
The 36-year-old Kahnle had two stints with the Yankees. He was traded to the club in July 2017 as part of a multi-player swap with the Chicago White Sox. After a season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kahnle was back in New York for 2023 and 2024. The reliever was dominant during the Yankees’ run to the 2024 World Series.
Tommy Kahnle Not Returning to the New York Yankees
Kahnle has pitched for five different teams across his 11-year career. After debuting with the Colorado Rockies, he was dealt to the White Sox for fellow righty Yency Almonte. Kahnle landed in New York along with third baseman Todd Frazier and reliever David Robertson in a deal that sent righty Tyler Clippard, lefty Ian Clarkin, and outfielders Blake Rutherford and Tito Polo to Chicago.
The Yankees’ bullpen leaned heavily on Kahnle down the stretch in 2017. He picked up eight holds in the final two months of the regular season. The righty then ripped off 10 straight scoreless innings in the playoffs. He locked down an impressive save in Game 4 of the American League Divisional Series against the Cleveland Guardians, striking out five over two clean frames. Kahnle would continue to be a crucial member of New York’s relief corps over the next few seasons, including a career-high 72 appearances in 2019.
After a sabbatical in LA, Kahnle re-upped with the Yankees heading into the 2023 season. He put together a 2.66 ERA across 40.2 innings that year. The veteran chipped in 14 holds and two saves. Kahnle was even better the following season, delivering a 2.11 ERA in 50 appearances. He opened the postseason with eight consecutive scoreless outings. The streak came to a halt in Game 5 of the World Series. Kahnle permitted two runs while recording zero outs in the fifth inning, taking the loss in the season-ending affair.
Yankees Sticking With Struggling Camilo Doval
A Kahnle addition would’ve boosted a high-leverage group that has struggled with inconsistency. Doval was expected to be the eighth-inning option ahead of closer David Bednar. Instead, he’s been bumped to a middle-relief gig. The former San Francisco Giants stopper has a 6.23 ERA in 15 appearances. It’s a continuation of his struggles after coming over at the 2025 trade deadline. Doval posted a 4.82 ERA across 18.2 innings with the club last year.
Doval’s struggles have thrust Fernando Cruz into a more valuable position. Cruz allowed just one run over his first nine outings. He was tagged for two homers in a series against the Houston Astros near the end of April, pushing his ERA over 4.00. He’s settled in recently with five straight scoreless appearances.
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