Yankees on Verge of Losing High-Leverage Reliever Tommy Kahnle to Tigers

Kahnle, who had previously pitched with the Yankees from 2017 to 2020, signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract in December 2022 for a second go-around with the club. Despite starting both the 2023 and 2024 seasons on the injured list (with biceps tendinitis and shoulder inflammation, respectively), the righty maintained his effectiveness and logged a cumulative 2.38 ERA in 92 appearances and 83.1 innings; last season, Kahnle pitched in 50 games (primarily as a setup man) and posted a 2.11 ERA, with 46 strikeouts against 19 walks.

The veteran is well-known for his devastating changeup, which boasted a run value of +10 on Baseball Savant. However, Kahnle tends to overuse the pitch due to a mediocre fastball, as he threw the changeup 73% of the time during the regular season and threw 61 consecutive changeups during New York's postseason run.

The Yankees' bullpen is in a significant state of flux at the moment; in addition to Kahnle, former closer Clay Holmes signed with the New York Mets earlier in the offseason, while left-hander Tim Hill is also a free agent. New additions to the bullpen this offseason include Devin Williams (the team's new closer), Fernando Cruz, and Michael Arias, all of whom were trade acquisitions, while Jonathan Loáisiga was brought back on a one-year deal with a club option for 2026.

With Kahnle likely gone, the Yankees have to select another setup man to use in tandem with Luke Weaver. Candidates for the role include Jake Cousins, Cruz, Ian Hamilton, Mark Leiter Jr., and Loáisiga.