Inside The Pinstripes

Should the Yankees Re-Sign Fan Favorite Hurler in Free Agency?

The New York Yankees must decide whether they want to bring a beloved reliever back to the Bronx next season.

Grant Young

Jun 14, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle (41) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Jun 14, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle (41) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees are expected to be busy in the free agency market offseason.

There are various top-tier closers like Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, Kenley Jansen, and Blake Treinen slated to become unrestricted free agents; some of whom the Yankees have already been linked to.

However, with the emergence of Luke Weaver as the Yankees closer over the past six or so weeks, it appears that New York may have found their ninth-inning guy for the future. Therefore, their focus might switch to securing more veteran relievers who can help bridge the gap between the starters and Weaver.

Although a perfect fit for that task might already be on their roster.

Per usual, Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle has been rock-solid this year. He posted a 2.11 ERA in 50 innings pitched during the regular season, hasn't allowed an earned run in 4.1 innings pitched this postseason, and boasts a 2.81 career postseason ERA.

Not to mention that he's clearly beloved among his teammates and brings an infectious energy to New York's clubhouse that has turned him into a fan-favorite.

Kahnle — who has been in the Bronx since midway through the 2017 season, aside from one campaign spent with the Dodgers in 2022 — is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Spotrac projects that he'll receive a two-year, $11.25 million contract this winter.

While Kahnle is currently 35 years old, the success of older, soon-to-be free agent relievers this season like the aforementioned Yates (37), Jansen (37), and Treinen (36) shows that Kahnle could have a couple of solid years of production ahead of him.

New York could do much worse than bringing Kahnle back to the Bronx in 2025.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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