The Boston Red Sox are taking a shot on another aging but accomplished relief pitcher, with plenty of experience in the American League East.

Former Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle is joining the Red Sox on a minor-league deal, as first reported by Jon Heyman Tuesday night. Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo of MassLive had reported back in January that Boston was checking in on the 36-year-old Kahnle, who most recently pitched for the Detroit Tigers in the 2025 season.

Kahnle’s effectiveness dropped off in that lone season in Detroit. He posted a 4.43 ERA over 65 innings, after compiling a 2.90 over 178 appearances with the Dodgers and Yankees from 2019-24. His strikeout rate dropped by 7% from 2024, while his walk rate ticked up by 1%.

After beginning his major league career with a fastball that consistently sit in the mid-to-upper-90s, Kahnle’s velocity has dipped below his career average of 95.8 mph in recent years. His 93.5-mph average in 2025 (via Fangraphs) was the lowest mark of his career to date.

If Kahnle can’t spin it like he used to, he’ll have to rely on command and control while using his veteran experience to set up hitters. Or, perhaps the Red Sox believe they can plug him into their labs and get that spin rate up. There’s certainly not much pressure on Kahnle to regain something resembling his prime form any time soon, as he’ll start at the back end of the depth chart.

The Red Sox already have Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten leading the way for right-handed relievers. So anything Kahnle can give them, even as just an injury fill-in or depth option, would be something of a bonus. And he’ll have time to work out anything he needs to fix, with this being a minor-league deal.

Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.