Yankees Should Reunite With Tommy Kahnle if Red Sox Split Comes True

The Boston Red Sox are expected to release former New York Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle if he isn't called up to the majors.

New York Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle (41) throws during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Who says you can't go home? Certainly not the New York Yankees, who should sign former reliever Tommy Kahnle if he hits the open market today.

The 36-year-old signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox in March.

According to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo, Kahnle can opt to become a free agent if he's not on the major league roster by June 1. Which is today.

Citing a source with knowledge of Kahnle’s thinking, Cotillo reports the right-hander “100 percent” plans to hit free agency if he's not called up.

Kahnle impresses with WooSox

Kahnle has impressed with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, posting a sterling 1.40 ERA in 18 appearances with 21 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

“I know there are dates coming up,” said interim manager Chad Tracy, according to Cotillo. “Our front office, they’re always aware of that. We’re well-aware of who he is, what he’s done and his performance down there.”

“Obviously, it’s in the back of my mind but I have no idea where I’m going to be,” Kahnle said last week about his opt-out, per Cotillo. “I couldn’t tell you.”

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock (22) throws against Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, May 4, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Red Sox certainly have a need in their bullpen after placing the setup man (and former Yankee) Garrett Whitlock on the injured list with a sore knee.

Yankees reunion makes sense

But if Boston parts ways with Kahnle, the Yankees should pounce, and here's why.

A fifth-round pick of the Yankees in 2010, Kahnle has proven he can handle the bright lights of the Bronx. In two separate stints with New York, the right-hander recorded a 3.31 ERA in 221 appearances with 251 strikeouts in 195 2/3 innings, most of which came as a high-leverage, late-inning option.

He's even better in the postseason, with a 3.06 ERA in 31 appearances.

As for the current scouting report on Kahnle, it reveals a veteran who can still make an impact.

"An elite changeup has been Kahnle’s primary pitch in recent years," Charlie Wright of MLB Trade Rumors reports. "The offering posted a +4 Run Value this past season. Kahnle’s changeup had the fifth-highest Run Value in the league in 2024.

"The veteran is throwing the pitch at a 63.4% clip with the WooSox, which is actually a bit low for him. Kahnle has thrown the changeup at least 72% of the time in four straight years," Wright adds. "He’s sitting 93 mph on the four-seamer, which is down slightly from 2025 (93.5 mph)."

Kahnle's long and winding MLB journey

Kahnle has played for five clubs in 11 big-league seasons. He made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Rockies, who claimed him from the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft.

Colorado traded him to the White Sox after the 2015 season and Chicago shipped him to New York before the 2017 trade deadline in the deal which also brought infielder Todd Frazier and reliever David Robertson to the Yankees.

Kahnle signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2020 season and returned to the Yankees as a free agent ahead of the 2023 campaign. He spent last year with the Detroit Tigers and went 1-5 with nine saves and a 4.43 ERA in 66 appearances.