Tommy Kahnle returned to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2022 season after signing a two-year contract and missing all of 2021 due to recovering from Tommy John surgery.
However, Kahnle also suffered a bone bruise in his right elbow that caused him to miss four months of the season. Kahnle was activated near the end of the year and although he only appeared in 13 games, he still earned a high-leverage role just before the postseason began.
Kahnle is now a free agent again, and with his late-season success, at least 10 teams are interested in signing the 33-year-old reliever, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post:
Tommy Kahnle has 10 plus teams expressing interest after strong September return with Dodgers (0.63 WHIP, 2.84 ERA). Ex Yankee also benefits from demand outstripping supply in relief market.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 27, 2022
Kahnle only pitched one inning during the shortened 2020 season due to his Tommy John surgery, and when he returned in 2022, logged just 12.2 innings. The bone bruise was believed to be related to the surgery he underwent in August 2020.
But upon returning this past September, Kahnle said he was feeling as healthy as he has since before the operation and posted a 1.04 ERA in 8.2 innings. He finished the year with a 2.84 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 9.95 strikeouts per nine and 2.13 walks per nine.
In his last full season in 2019, Kahnle pitched to a 3.67 ERA, 3.33 FIP and 1.06 WHIP with 88 strikeouts and 20 walks over 61.1 innings. The right-hander’s best season came in 2017 when he posted a 2.59 ERA, 1.83 FIP and 1.12 WHIP with 96 strikeouts to 17 walks in 62.2 innings.
He owns a career 3.78 ERA across 290.1 innings pitched.
Are the Dodgers interested in re-signing Tommy Kahnle?
It is unclear if the Dodgers are among the teams interested in Kahnle, but with him, Craig Kimbrel and Chris Martin all reaching free agency, L.A. does need to add to their bullpen, specifically at the back end.
Kahnle showed enough in his short stint that he could be a valuable signing for another season, but it is unlikely the Dodgers would give him a multi-year contract, which he may receive from a team that is more desperate for bullpen help.
If Kahnle does sign a one-year deal, then it’s likely the Dodgers would be at the top of the list for his services.
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