Ex-Yankees Reliever Getting Plenty of Interest in Free Agency
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More than 10 different teams are interested in signing free agent reliever Tommy Kahnle this offseason, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Kahnle, 33, had a resurgent finish to the 2022 season with the Dodgers, posting a 1.04 ERA over 8.2 innings in September with nine strikeouts.
The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery back in 2020, ending his four-year stint with the Yankees after one inning pitched at the beginning of the pandemic-shortened season. He was signed by Los Angeles that winter, slowly working back from elbow surgery. Kahnle returned in May of 2022, but went back on the injured list a few weeks later, missing four months with a forearm injury.
Not too long ago, Kahnle was one of the best relievers in New York's bullpen. In 2019, his last full season, the former fifth-rounder posted a 3.67 ERA over 61.1 innings with the Yankees, appearing in a career-high 72 games.
Kahnle's changeup was the key to his success in that season. Opponents hit .130 (16-for-123) against the right-hander's changeup, striking out 67 times. It's a small sample—and Kahnle's recent injury history is certainly a cause for concern—but opposing hitters were 3-for-32 (.094) against the changeup in 2022. Kahnle threw that pitch 76.4 percent of the time as well.
Earlier this offseason, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that he's "looking to improve [New York's] bullpen" this offseason. There will be some new faces in the 'pen for those in pinstripes considering Scott Effross is out for the season (Tommy John surgery) and a group of veterans (Chad Green, Zack Britton, Aroldis Chapman and Miguel Castro) are all entering free agency.
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