New York Yankees Sign Philadelphia Phillies Minor League Reliever

If the Philadelphia Phillies were saving Joel Kuhnel for a rainy day, well those days are over.

The 30-year-old right-hander, who played in parts of five Major League seasons and was with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley, signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees on Friday, per his transaction tracker at MLB.com.

More News: Guardians Superstar Closer Listed As Potential Trade Target of Phillies

The tracker also indicated that the Phillies released him on Thursday. The tracker did not indicate why he was released. But many veterans usually have an opt-out if they’re on a minor league deal such as Kuhnel’s.

He was assigned to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

More News: Phillies Star Trea Turner Reaches Career Milestone in Strange Way Against Padres

Kuhnel never got the promotion to Philadelphia as he was likely hoping. He put together a solid campaign at Triple-A, as he went 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA in 26 games, with two saves in three chances and seven holds. He struck out 27 and walked four in 32.1 innings.

He’s bounced around in the Majors since 2019 when he broke in with the Cincinnati Reds. He also played for the Houston Astros and the Tampa Bay Rays. He had two different stints with the Astros in 2023 and 2024. He played for both Houston and Tampa Bay last season.

More News: MLB Writer Reveals What Phillies Trade Package for Red Sox Star Could Look Like

He also played in both the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers organizations but never played in an MLB game for those teams.

In 82 Major League games he is 4-3 with a 5.86 ERA, with one save in three chances and six holds. He struck out 76 walked 24 in 93.2 innings.

More News: Phillies Ace Putting Himself in Position for First Career Cy Young Award

His most productive season was in 2022 with Cincinnati, where he pitched in 53 games and went 2-3 with a 6.36 ERA. He had one save in three chances, along with five holds. He struck out 56 and walked 14.

He was an 11th round pick in the 2016 MLB draft out of UT Arlington. While he was in the Reds’ system he was named a Florida State League all-star and a Southern League all-star. He was not in the Major Leagues in 2021 as he dealt with a shoulder injury.  

For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.