Red Sox Reach a Decision on Veteran Reliever Tommy Kahnle

The Boston Red Sox will have a new arm in the mix.

Per a report from MassLive’s Christopher Smith, the club is selecting veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle to join the big league roster ahead of their series finale against the Baltimore Orioles.

The decision came down to the final day, as Kahnle’s contract with Boston had an opt-out clause if he was not added to the major league roster by June 1st. After opting out on Tuesday, the Red Sox had 48 hours to either call him up or lose him to free agency.

Reports earlier in the week indicated that other teams were expressing interest in Kahnle while Boston weighed the options. Now on the last possible day, the 36-year-old hurler will get his long-awaited chance to carve out a role in the Red Sox’s bullpen.

Kahnle was picked up by the Red Sox on a minor league contract with just one week remaining in spring training. With 11 years of MLB experience, the expectation was that he would be one of the first candidates for a call up when injury struck as long as he put together a strong showing in Triple-A.

The Red Sox first called up hard-throwing righty Tyron Guerrero on May 21st, optioning Zack Kelly to Worcester in the process. But with Garrett Whitlock on the IL and fellow right-handed relievers Greg Weissert (3.96 ERA) and Ryan Watson (5.15 ERA) looking shaky in their low-leverage roles, Kahnle became a clear candidate to provide a stabilizing presence to the bullpen. The team has yet to announce a corresponding move, but Weissert remains a candidate for a demotion to Triple-A and Watson could be DFA’d.

In 18 games with the Woo Sox, Kahnle has impressed with a 1.40 ERA and 21 strikeouts to 11 walks across 19.1 innings. He has not allowed a single run dating back to April 17, delivering 14 straight scoreless outings and picking up five saves.

Kahnle spent the majority of his career as a member of the New York Yankees, appearing in 221 games and posting a 3.31 ERA across six seasons there.

The Red Sox will start Brayan Bello tonight with no opener for the first time since May 17th, with Kahnle expected to factor in behind him. The team hopes that Bello can deliver the same length he has when pitching in the bulk role, but his concerning splits as a starter (9.68 ERA) and reliever (0.71 ERA) could ultimately force them to lean on their new veteran in a crucial series finale.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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