Yankees, High-Leverage Reliever Have Interest in Reunion

The Yankees and relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle are reportedly interested in a reunion for the 2025 season.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle (41) pitches during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees may be considering bringing back one of their high-leverage relief pitchers for the 2025 season.

According to Dan Martin of the New York Post, the Bronx Bombers and relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle are interested in a potential reunion. If this move does take place, it would be the fourth time the Yankees would reacquire Kahnle.

The righty was originally drafted by New York in the fifth round of the 2010 MLB Draft, but was later drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft; Kahnle eventually made his major league debut with them during the 2014 season.

After spending his first two seasons in the major leagues with the Rockies and the Chicago White Sox, the Yankees traded for the now 35-year-old reliever in July 2017. Kahnle thrived with New York down the stretch, as he made 32 appearances with a 2.70 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.

2018 was a rough year for Kahnle, as he posted a disappointing 6.56 ERA in 24 outings while also beimg optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. But in 2019, the righty bounced back by going 3-2 in a career-high 72 appearances; he posted a 3.67 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched and was named the American League's Reliever of the Month in July.

After 2019, injuries began to plague Kahnle; he made just one appearance in the shortened 2020 season before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He did not appear in a major league game until May 1, 2022 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he pitched for 13 games despite another IL stint.

After the 2022 season, Kahnle returned to the Yankees on a two-year contract but was placed on the injured list before the start of the 2023 season with biceps tendinitis. He also had to miss the start of the 2024 season as well with shoulder inflammation. Nonetheless, the righty was productive in both seasons of his second Yankee stint, posting a 2.38 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 92 appearances and 83.1 innings.

Despite Kahnle's injury history, the Yankees' reported interest in the veteran reliever should not be much of a surprise as Luke Weaver, Ian Hamilton, and Jake Cousins are the only remaining bullpen pieces from last season on the team's current roster. Fellow relievers Clay Holmes and Tim Hill are also set to hit free agency, although the Yankees may consider a reunion with Hill much like they are with Kahnle.