The Red Sox have been linked to right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle several times over the years, and finally brought him in Tuesday evening.

As first reported by MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, it’s a minor league deal with an invite to spring training for the 11-year MLB veteran. He’ll make $1.5 million if he makes the major league club.

Kahnle, 36, owns a career 3.61 ERA over 456 regular-season relief appearances. He debuted with the 2014 Colorado Rockies, but has spent the bulk of his professional career in a Yankees uniform. New York drafted him in the fifth round in 2010, and reacquired him from the Chicago White Sox in July 2017, after the Rockies selected him in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft. He pitched six seasons for the Yankees over two stints (2017-20, 2023-24), with the 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers in between.

The Red Sox pursued Kahnle in free agency before he signed with the Dodgers in December 2020 (while recovering from Tommy John surgery that kept him off the mound all 2021), and also made him an offer before he re-signed with the Yankees ahead of the 2023 season. He owns a 6.00 ERA over 17 career appearances at Fenway Park, with 22 strikeouts in 15 innings.

Kahnle spent last year with the Detroit Tigers, pitching to a 4.43 ERA over 66 appearances totaling 63 innings. Despite a significant jump from the 2.44 ERA he posted in 105 games (96 innings) across the previous three seasons, Kahnle remains adept at limiting power; opponents had a .370 slugging percentage against him in 2025, a slight jump from the .350 rate he allowed over his first 10 seasons. He fell solidly in the 75th MLB percentile in both Hard-Hit % and Average Exit Velocity.

Though Kahnle went unsigned for most of spring training, he trained for the World Baseball Classic and made two scoreless appearances for Team Israel during the pool round. He allowed one hit, one walk and struck out two in two total innings.

Kahnle is the second relief signing by the Red Sox in recent days. They signed left-hander Danny Coulombe, also an 11-year veteran, to a one-year, $1 million contract over the weekend.

Four of the eight spots in the Boston bullpen are all but officially taken, by veteran closer Aroldis Chapman (Kahnle’s longtime Yankees teammate) and righties Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert and Garrett Whitlock. The remaining four are up for grabs.