Tommy Kahnle DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Detroit Tigers right-hander Tommy Kahnle picked up the save in a 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. Kahnle tossed two scoreless innings while not allowing a baserunner and failing to record a strikeout to preserve the win. The veteran reliever has been productive at the back of the Detroit bullpen this season, converting all three of his save chances while posting a 1.29 ERA, 0.43 WHIP, and five strikeouts over seven innings of work. The Tigers opened the season with a ninth-inning committee, but it appears that Kahnle has emerged as the favorite for the ninth-inning role moving forward.

Free-agent right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a one-year, $7.75 million deal on Wednesday, pending a physical, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. Kahnle, who features one of the better changeups in baseball, should feature in a middle-relief role for a Tigers bullpen that was surprisingly strong in 2024. The 35-year-old will come with a lengthy injury history, but he was a strength out of the New York Yankees' bullpen the last two seasons, posting a combined 2.38 ERA (3.99 FIP) and 1.13 WHIP with three saves, 94 strikeouts and 38 walks in 83 1/3 innings pitched. While he probably won't really be in the mix for saves in a bullpen that also features Jason Foley, Beau Brieske and Tyler Holton, Kahnle could be useful to fantasy managers in leagues that count holds. He only has eight career saves in 10 MLB seasons.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, free agent relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle is drawing interest from eight clubs. Kahnle enjoyed a strong 2024 season with the New York Yankees, posting a 2.11 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP across 42 2/3 innings of work. He struck out batters at a modest 25.7% clip and generated a strong .203 xBA. He also generated an excellent 59.8% ground ball rate and a 32.1% hard-hit rate which were both among the top marks among pitchers last season. Kahnle tallied 16 holds as he was typically deployed in a set-up role for the Yankees. Given the reported interest, many clubs may view the 35-year-old as a potential closer. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor where he signs, as he could be a valuable target in leagues that score holds if he joins a competing club.