The hot stove is starting to heat up with the big event of the Major League Baseball offseason beginning Monday. As the league gathers in Dallas, Texas, for the annual Winter Meetings, the Philadelphia Phillies will hopefully begin putting their offseason plans into action.
With a definite need in the bullpen after seeing Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez head to free agency, the Phillies had reportedly shown interest in a pair of former Yankees relievers: Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle.
Phillies have reportedly checked on right-hander Tommy Kahnle
Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb reported that the Phillies checked in on both pitchers in their search for a bullpen addition.
“The Phillies have checked in on numerous relievers, either as free agents or trade targets, including two former Yankees relievers, Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle,” according to Gelb.
Unfortunately, the division rival New York Mets signed Holmes, one of the top closers on the market, on Friday when they agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal with the right-hander. With the Mets' plan to turn Holmes into a starter, the Phillies didn’t have a chance at the former Yankees closer, with their interest focused on him as a reliever.
But 35-year-old Kahnle is still available. The right-hander is heading into his 11th MLB season in 2025 after spending parts of five of the last six seasons in the Yankees bullpen. This past season, he posted a sharp 2.11 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 46 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings. He featured prominently in New York’s run to the World Series, appearing in nine playoff games with a 2.08 ERA over 8 2/3 innings.
Kahnle, a former fifth-round draft pick, has a career 3.47 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. With just eight saves but 98 holds to his name, he might be a possible late-inning option for the Phillies to sign this winter. In 165 1/3 medium- and high-leverage innings over his career, Kahnle has held opposing hitters to a .217/.312/.392 slash line.
He also keeps the ball out of the air. With a career ground ball rate close to 50 percent, he sat at 58.6 percent in 2024 while posting a 27 percent fly ball rate.
Spotrac puts his market value at $10.66 million over two years, so $5.3 million per season. As we’ve seen, the pitching market is starting to skyrocket. After Aroldis Chapman signed for $10.75 million with the Boston Red Sox, the reliever market might take a big jump as the starting pitching market has.
Obviously, Kahnle isn’t in the same tier as Chapman or Holmes, and grabbing a top-tier closer like Tanner Scott would be preferable, but he comes with his own skill set that will make him desirable for any team looking for a bullpen piece.