Red Sox take a low-risk flier on Tigers reliever who ended Detroit's 2025 season

When the Tigers put Tommy Kahnle on the mound in the bottom of the 15th in Detroit's marathon ALDS Game 5 against the Mariners, fans knew it was all over.

AJ Hinch had turned his bullpen over and emptied it. Jack Flaherty pitched two gritty innings to get the Tigers through the 13th and 14th, but since they would need him if they went on to the ALCS, Hinch went to his last straggler.

Kahnle gave up a single, then hit a batter, then intentionally walked Julio Rodríguez to load the bases. Jorge Polanco singled to walk it off.

To no one's surprise, the Tigers let Kahnle walk in the offseason. There was a reason Hinch was avoiding him for as long as he possibly could. Kahnle fell apart by the middle of July, and even though he had been decent enough in minimal postseason appearances before Game 5, there was no way the Tigers were going to try to re-sign him for 2026.

He lingered on the free agent market until Tuesday, when Jon Heyman reported that he had signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox.

Tommy Kahnle signs minor league deal with Red Sox after awful second half with Tigers

You can pinpoint exactly when things started to go wrong for Kahnle last season. He had a 2.84 ERA through July 8, and then he gave up four earned runs without recording an out in his next appearance. He leveled out more by September, but it was clear that everyone had just adjusted to him. It wasn't hard to figure out what was coming; Kahnle's changeup was 85.6% of pitches thrown, and he's always been a changeup-heavy pitcher.

The Red Sox have nothing to lose by signing him to a minor league deal. He made a decent enough showing in the World Baseball Classic, pitching two scoreless innings for Team Israel. And it doesn't hurt that Kanhle was a longtime Yankee. If the Red Sox can fix him up, it'll be another thing they can lord over their rivals.

Tigers fans have no reason to miss him. Game 5 wasn't entirely his fault — it was a breakdown of Detroit's offense, mostly — but his second-half struggles factored into their late-season collapse. The Tigers have found ways to make up for losing him the bullpen, and the entire pitching staff looks better for it.