Instant Grade: Red Sox to Sign Ex-Yankees, Tigers Righty Tommy Kahnle

The bullpen situation for the Boston Red Sox took another interesting turn on Tuesday, as the Red Sox landed a well-known veteran right-hander on a minor-league deal.

As first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Red Sox and 11-year big-leaguer Tommy Kahnle agreed to a minor-league contract on Tuesday. Kahnle spent last season with the Detroit Tigers, but Red Sox fans might know him best for his days with the New York Yankees, spanning two stints from 2017 to 2019 and then 2023 to 2024.

There's a lot to process with this move, as Kahnle is a fairly big name to land with the team this late in the spring, but that isn't necessarily a guarantee that he plays an important major league role. But let's first get to the grade on the deal here, factoring in price tag and opportunity cost.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Grade for Kahnle signing: A-minus

Oct 7, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tommy Kahnle (43) delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

If Boston had done any sort of guaranteed major league deal, we'd have room for some reservations. Kahnle is a bit of a one-trick pony, and if his change-up is off for whatever reason, he can be smacked around. He's also coming off a down year at age 35, meaning there's a chance he doesn't ever return to being a productive big-leaguer.

Last season, Kahnle had a 4.43 ERA and 4.72 FIP in 63 innings. He was on the mound for the Tigers during the Red Sox's late-inning comeback in the September game that clinched Boston's playoff berth, and everything he was throwing that night (okay, so it was mostly changeups) looked hittable.

But Kahnle also hadn't had another season in the majors with an ERA above four since 2018. From 2019 to 2024, he sported a 2.90 ERA across 158 1/3 innings, striking out an impressive 199 batters. When that change is on, there's not much a righty can do to square it up.

Kahnle probably won't be a candidate to break camp with the Red Sox next week for opening day, given the fact that he signed a minors deal and the numerous other righties in contention for the final roster spot. But that only means the Sox will likely have the ability to get him to Triple-A and fine-tune some things.

Don't be surprised if we see Kahnle on the mound for some important innings this year for the Red Sox, because that's been the story of his career so far. And if not, the opportunity cost still was virtually nonexistent here.