Yankees' Rival 'Showed Interest' in New York Fan-Favorite Reliever, Per Insider

New York Yankees fans are likely feeling grateful their arch-rival didn't sign this beloved reliever.
Jul 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle (41) looks up as Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (43) celebrates his two run home run while running the bases during the tenth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Jul 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle (41) looks up as Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (43) celebrates his two run home run while running the bases during the tenth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

During a January 24 episode of the Fenway Rundown podcast, MassLive.com insider Chris Cotillo predicted that the Boston Red Sox would be the team to sign former New York Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle this offseason.

"I'm going to make a prediction here, and it's not going to be one Red Sox fans are going to love. I'm going to predict no on Arenado and no on Bregman, and that it ends up being Grichuk and either Robertson or Kahnle," Cotillo said when assessing the remaining moves Boston will make this offseason.

While this might have been a nightmare for Yankees fans given how beloved Kahnle is, they can now feel (somewhat) relieved, as ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan made an X post on January 29 that wrote, "Right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a one-year, $7.75 million contract, pending physical, sources told ESPN. Detroit’s bullpen, a strength last season, adds one of the foremost changeup artists in baseball to throw leverage innings."

Despite Cotillo's prediction about Kahnle joining the Red Sox ultimately not coming true, he did come out and say that his prediction wasn't merely speculation in the wake of Passan's announcement.

"A third of the league showed interest in Kahnle. The Red Sox were in that group but they weren’t serious on him like they have been in past FA cycles. No offer," Cotillo wrote in an X post response to Passan's initial message.

Given that Cotillo seemed to know something of the Red Sox's interest in Kahnle before he signed with the Tigers, this might mean that Boston will pivot to his other reliever prediction — former Yankees longtime bullpen piece David Robertson — in an attempt to bolster their bullpen.

Read More:

- Yankees Could Solve 'Glaring Roster Hole' With This Marcus Stroman Trade Proposal

- Insider Predicts Yankees Beloved Reliever Will Sign With Red Sox

- Two Factors That Pushed The Yankees to Trade Jose Trevino


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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for On SI. 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. You can follow him on X: @GrvntYoung