The Yankees have acquired Tommy Kahnley three times. Will the Bronx right-hander get a fourth chance?
There is interest on both sides in a potential reunion, as Kahnle had a strong season with the Yankees and pitched pretty well in the playoffs until his ugly final outing in Game 5, when the Yankees suffered a season-ending loss to the Dodgers. It is being In a World Series game, Kahnley was called upon to protect a one-run lead in the eighth inning, allowing all three batters he faced to reach base.
Kahnle then expressed a desire to remain with the team that originally drafted him in 2010, acquired him in a trade in 2017, and signed him as a free agent after the 2022 season.
Kahnle was part of a relief corps that at times was dominant despite lacking the big names. He is one of the Pen's three main members on the open market, along with Clay Holmes and left-hander Tim Hill.
Holmes is likely to land elsewhere and, as the Post's Joel Sherman reported, is receiving interest as a starting pitcher.
Hill was claimed off waivers by the Yankees after the White Sox released him in July, emerging as a much-needed left-handed weapon after other options like Victor Gonzalez fell through.
There is expected to be a healthy market for Hill, who turns 35 in February, and there are only a handful of teams interested in Kahnle.
The Yankees are considering the possibility of signing Luke Weaver, who has proven to be a capable closer, as well as other development projects remaining on the roster, such as Ian Hamilton and Jake Cousins. are.
Mark Leiter Jr. will be back after a shaky few months in the Bronx after joining in a trade from the Cubs. Scott Efros was also acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline (2022), but he hasn't regained his form since Tommy John surgery two years ago.
Kahnle is happy with the Yankees, but the Yankees clearly prefer a relief pitcher who has been plagued by injuries for most of his career.
Although Kahnle has put up solid numbers, he hasn't pitched more than 42/3 innings pitched in the regular season since 2019. He has missed the past two years due to inflammation in his right shoulder.
“I've been drafted here and brought back twice,” Kahnley said after his final game. “I love being a Yankee. I want to finish my career here.”
Before suffering a disappointment in Game 5, Kahnley had not allowed a run in 8/3 postseason innings.
Unlike the starting pitcher market, which has begun to move rapidly with notable deals for Blake Snell, Frankie Montas and Matt Boyd, no multi-year deals have been signed for relief pitchers so far this offseason. Not yet.
