Report: Former Yankees Reliever Tommy Kahnle Agrees to 2-Year Dodgers Contract

The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly have signed free-agent relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle, who spent the past three-plus seasons with the New York Yankees, to a two-year contract. 

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the news Wednesday.

Kahnle underwent Tommy John surgery in August to repair damage to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm. His potential availability for the start of the 2021 season is unknown.

The 31-year-old right-hander pitched a scoreless inning in his only appearance of 2020. He posted a 3.67 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 88 strikeouts in 61.1 innings across 72 appearances in 2019, which represented an important bounce-back campaign after his 6.56 ERA in 2018.

He was a fifth-round pick of the Yankees in the 2010 MLB draft. He didn't make it to the major leagues during his first stint with the organization, though.

The Colorado Rockies selected Kahnle in the 2013 Rule 5 draft and he proceeded to make the club's big league roster in 2014. After two middling years in Colorado, he started to transform into a key bullpen assets across two seasons with the Chicago White Sox.

He compiled a 2.63 ERA for the South Siders in 2016 and held a 2.50 ERA when the White Sox traded him to the Yankees in July 2017.

In all, Kahnle owns a 3.82 ERA with 344 strikeouts in 277.2 innings across 285 MLB games.

Once healthy, he should slot in as a middle-innings reliever as part of a strong Dodgers' bullpen headlined by Kenley Jansen, Victor Gonzalez and Brusdar Graterol.