Over the past few offseasons, spanning from Chaim Bloom to Craig Breslow, the Red Sox have repeatedly pursued right-hander Tommy Kahnle.
This week, they finally got their guy. Boston agreed to a minor league deal with Kahnle that does not include an opt-out until June 1, according to reports.
Most veterans have an “upward mobility” clause that typically kicks in around May 1, allowing them to leave if another team offers a major league roster spot. In this case, the Red Sox pushed that timeline back, with Kahnle’s opt-out not coming until June 1.
Kahnle, 36, will pitch for Boston during the final week of camp and is expected to open the season at Triple-A Worcester. Still, the veteran believes he could be ready for Opening Day after pitching for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic this spring.
“If I needed to, yes,” Kahnle said. “It just depends on how they want to play this. I’m good for whatever. I definitely feel like I was ready to roll in the WBC. I had two outings and everything looked pretty good.”
Kahnle last pitched Tuesday, tossing a scoreless inning, his second in three days, during WBC pool play. Prior to outings against Nicaragua and the Netherlands, he also appeared in a pre-tournament exhibition against the Marlins. He hasn’t pitched in over a week but threw a bullpen at Fenway South on Thursday and is going to get into game action on Saturday, giving him a chance to make a late push for a bullpen spot.
Over the past two weeks, the Red Sox have added both Kahnle and left-hander Danny Coulombe to the bullpen mix. If ready, they would join a group that already includes Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Greg Weissert, Justin Slaten, Zack Kelly and Jovani Morán.
Boston could still shuffle things at the end of camp. Kelly has minor league options remaining, which could open the door for Kahnle to sneak onto the roster alongside candidates like Rule 5 pick Ryan Watson, Kyle Keller, Tayron Guerrero, and left-hander Tyler Samaniego.
“It just looked like a good opportunity to make a big league team, especially a team that takes pride in winning,” Kahnle said.
Boston was one of several teams that pursued Kahnle last offseason, but he ultimately signed a one-year, $7.75 million deal with Detroit. He made an immediate impact, leaning heavily on his changeup and posting a 1.77 ERA over his first 34 appearances through June.
Things unraveled in the second half, however, as he struggled to a 7.90 ERA across his final 27 1/3 innings.
Despite the late-season dip, the Red Sox are betting on Kahnle’s track record. Over an 11-year career, he’s shown the ability to be an effective late-inning arm, including a 2.38 ERA in 92 appearances with the Yankees from 2023–24.
“Changeups, throws strikes, been there, done that,” said Alex Cora to reporters. “He had a great season two years ago with the Yankees. Last year, he was really good in the first part of the season. It just didn’t happen for him or them in the second part.”
Boston’s interest in Kahnle dates back to
