NEW YORK — The list of former Yankees players who have crossed enemy lines keeps growing. And every time it happens, it stings the Bronx faithful just a little more.
Veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle, who spent the bulk of his career in pinstripes and delivered some of his finest moments in a Yankees uniform, has agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. The Post’s Jon Heyman first reported the deal.
The move adds another name to the painful list of former Yankees who ended up wearing the wrong shade of red. But there is a twist this time. The deal is a minor league contract. And the salary tells you everything about where Kahnle’s career stands right now.
A steep pay cut from his Yankees and Tigers days
Kahnle would earn a $1.5 million salary if added to the Red Sox’s 40-man roster, with a chance to collect $250,000 in performance bonuses. That is a dramatic drop from the $7.75 million he earned with the Detroit Tigers in 2025.
At 36 years old, Kahnle is no longer the pitcher who dominated out of the Yankees bullpen during the 2024 postseason. He is a veteran arm trying to extend his career on a minor league deal, hoping to earn a spot in a big league bullpen that does not need him nearly as much as he needs it.
The Red Sox ranked second in MLB and first in the American League in reliever ERA last season at 3.41. Their bullpen WHIP of 1.25 ranked ninth in baseball. Thanks in large part to an All-Star campaign from closer Aroldis Chapman, Boston’s relief corps was among the best in the sport. Adding Kahnle on a minor league deal is a low-risk depth move, not a headline signing.
Kahnle’s Yankees tenure and his best Bronx season
For Yankees fans, the sting comes from the history. Kahnle spent the majority of his career in the Bronx. He logged 195 2/3 innings across six seasons and two separate stints with the Yankees. New York first acquired him in a pre-trade deadline deal with the Rockies in 2017.
His best season came in his final year in pinstripes. In 2024, Kahnle posted a career-best 2.11 ERA over 42 2/3 innings for the Yankees. He was lights out in October. He did not allow a single earned run through his first eight playoff appearances that fall.
Then came Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers. Kahnle allowed two runs without recording an out. He took the loss. Los Angeles clinched the title. It was the final pitch he threw as a Yankee.
That World Series exit defined the end of his Yankees chapter. New York did not bring him back for 2025. Kahnle signed with the Tigers instead.
A rocky 2025 in Detroit
Kahnle’s lone season in Detroit was a mixed bag. He appeared in 66 games for the Tigers, recording a 4.43 ERA and a 1.302 WHIP. He saved nine games as Detroit made the playoffs as a wild-card entrant.
The surface numbers mask a brutal stretch. In July, Kahnle carried a 19.64 ERA across 11 games. His season looked like it might collapse entirely. But he steadied himself down the stretch, posting a 2.20 ERA over his final 17 appearances.
For his career, Kahnle owns a 3.61 ERA with 17 saves and an 11-19 record across 11 big league seasons. His stops include Colorado (2014-15), the Chicago White Sox (2016-17), the Yankees (2017-20, 2023-24), the Dodgers (2022) and the Tigers (2025).
He also represented Team Israel at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, pitching two scoreless innings over two appearances before the tournament ended.
The changeup specialist heads to Fenway
Kahnle is known for wielding his changeup as his primary offering. In 2025, he threw it at an 86% clip, making it essentially his only pitch. That approach worked well when his command was sharp. When it was not, hitters sat on the pitch and punished him.
The Red Sox recently signed left-handed reliever Danny Columbe to a big league deal as well, adding further depth to an already strong bullpen. Kahnle’s minor league deal gives Boston a low-cost option with experience. If he can rediscover the form he showed in the Bronx during 2024, he could earn a roster spot. If not, the Red Sox lose nothing.
What it means for Yankees fans
For the Yankees faithful, seeing Kahnle in a Red Sox uniform will be uncomfortable. He was part of some of the best moments of the 2024 postseason run. He was a trusted arm in high-leverage spots. He was a Yankee.
But this is baseball. The Yankees chose not to re-sign him after the 2024 World Series. Detroit gave him a chance. Now Boston is giving him another one, at a fraction of the cost.
Kahnle earned $7.75 million last season. His new deal pays $1.5 million at the big league level, with no guarantee he will get there. The gap between those two numbers tells the story of a career in decline. The Red Sox are betting that there is still something left in the tank. Yankees fans are hoping there is not.
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