Tommy

Kahnle

No real reason to rush out and grab Kahnle in saves-only leagues or even holds leagues for the time being, but he could eventually push himself up the pecking order in Boston’s bullpen after posting a 1.40 ERA in 19 1/3 innings pitched at Worcester.

Today was the deadline for the Red Sox to call up Kahne or risk him using his opt-out clause, which he had told the team he would do. Since the Red Sox have only three pitchers in their bullpen with minor league options (Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, and left-hander Tyler Samaniego), there was some question about how they would fit Kahnle onto the roster. Plus, adding him to the 40-man roster would also necessitate releasing somebody or putting Trevor Story on the 60-day injured list. At the end of the day, it seems that the Red Sox decided to call up the 36-year-old, who has a 1.40 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 21/11 K/BB ratio over 19 1/3 innings at Triple-A.

The 36-year-old changeup aficionado has been brilliant during his time at Triple-A Worcester this season, posting a 1.40 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 21/11 K/BB ratio over 19 1/3 innings. It’s now just about the Red Sox deciding if they want to make room for him on their 40-man roster.

The decision leaves Connelly Early and Johan Oviedo as the fifth and sixth options in Boston’s rotation mix. Tolle did almost everything possible to prove he belongs in the big leagues with a strong Grapefruit League showing that included a 2.53 ERA and 13/1 K/BB ratio across 10 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old top pitching prospect would’ve likely been ticketed for a long relief role at the start of the regular season so he’ll instead remain stretched out as a traditional starter on the doorstep of the majors until a more permanent opportunity arises. He’ll be worth rostering in all fantasy formats based on his strikeout upside once he gets a real chance.

Kahnle fortifies Boston’s middle relief depth after a strong showing for Israel in the World Baseball Classic. The 36-year-old veteran posted a respectable 4.43 ERA (4.52 xERA), 1.30 WHIP and 50/31 K/BB ratio across 63 innings for the Tigers last year. He’ll presumably head to Triple-A Worcester to open the year, but should make it to Fenway Park relatively quickly.

Kahnle’s velocity was fine today, with his fastball down about one mph from last year but his trusty changeup up 0.5 mph. The 36-year-old was somewhat disappointing with the Tigers last year, but he still has a 3.26 ERA in 146 innings over the last three seasons. He should be able to find work after the WBC.

Finnegan has been great for the Tigers, striking out 19 in 14 1/3 scoreless innings, so this is a significant loss. Will Vest figures to get most of Detroit’s save chances while Finnegan rests. Tommy Kahnle, who seems to have bounced back lately with his six consecutive scoreless appearances, also figures to have a bigger role at the end of games.

So far, so good. Finnegan has converted on each of his first two save chances with the Tigers. Will Vest didn’t pitch Monday and Tommy Kahnle merely got a couple outs in the eighth inning. Vest, though, was previously used before the ninth inning multiple times since the team acquired Finnegan. All signs currently point to Finnegan at least being the favorite for saves and potentially even being used as a traditional closer by A.J. Hinch.

Kahnle came on with the Tigers and Rangers locked in a scoreless battle in the bottom of the eighth inning. He proceeded to allow a double to Kyle Higashioka a walk to Josh Smith and then a two-run double to Corey Seager that proved to be the difference in the ballgame. After posting a 1.77 ERA through June, Kahnle has now allowed 14 runs over his last 3 1/3 innings of work, causing that ERA to balloon to 4.85.

Will Vest appeared to be unavailable tonight after throwing 32 pitches the previous two days. Pitching in a 1-0 game, Kahnle walked a batter with two outs, but he retired the other three guys he faced. He’ll likely get to rest Sunday after working back-to-back days, but West should be back if there’s a save chance.