The Tommy Kahnle experiment comes to an end for the Boston Red Sox. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that the right-hander will elect free agency.
That puts an official end to Kahnle’s tenure with the Red Sox, which lasted less than a month. In eight relief appearances, he pitched to an ERA of 8.00. He allowed 12 hits, walked six, and struck out five over nine innings.
Kahnle, 36, signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox in March. He pitched his way back to the major leagues after a solid run with Triple-A Worcester.
Recapping Tommy Kahnle’s Tenure with the Red Sox
After a rough year for the Detroit Tigers in 2025, Tommy Kahnle settled on a minor league deal with Boston. After failing to make the Opening Day roster, Kahnle took a retention bonus to pitch with Worcester.
The veteran right-hander joined the Red Sox’s bullpen on June 4. Kahnle had a June 1 opt-out as an Article XX(B) free agent and intended to trigger it.
At that point, he had a 1.40 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 19.1 innings with Worcester. His last 13 appearances in Triple-A were scoreless across 14 innings. The Red Sox allowed him to showcase himself and see if he could stick, much like Tayron Guerrero.
He pitched scoreless baseball in his first four appearances with the team. But then he surrendered runs in his final four outings for Boston, including a four-run disaster against the Washington Nationals on June 30.
That appearance was the final straw. With a looming roster crunch involving the pitching staff in the wake of Connelly Early’s elbow injury, the Red Sox needed a 40-man spot. That resulted in Kahnle getting designated for assignment.
The Red Sox had seven days to either trade, release, or outright Kahnle. In the case of a 36-year-old in the twilight phase of his career, his exit from the club was imminent.
The right-hander passed through waivers, as Cotillo noted, with no team claiming him. With the amount of service time he’s accrued over the years, Kahnle had the option to reject an outright assignment and become a free agent while keeping his $1.5 million salary.
What’s Next for Tommy Kahnle?
With Tommy Kahnle becoming a free agent, that means the Red Sox are on the hook for the remainder of his $1.5 million salary. The veteran reliever can sign with any club for the league minimum.
Should Kahnle resurface in the big leagues, Boston will get credit on their payroll for the prorated minimum.
However, the bigger question for the veteran reliever is how much longer he’ll continue to pitch. Kahnle has been below replacement level in his last 72 innings, by both bWAR (-0.6) and fWAR (-0.3).
The 36-year-old has pitched in parts of 12 seasons and has already crossed the 10-year service time threshold. For his career, he owns a 3.70 ERA and 17 saves across 464 appearances.
His career has involved stops with the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and the Red Sox.
Considering his recent track record, should Kahnle continue to pitch, it will likely be the same situation. A minor league deal with an opt-out date in the future.
Red Sox 12-Year Veteran Becomes Free Agent After DFA