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Eagles shirt-wearing Tommy Kahnle's response to Yankees free agency question says it all

Adam Weinrib
Adam Weinrib

Yanks Go Yard

World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Yankees - Game 5 / Sarah Stier/GettyImages

Tommy Kahnle's 2024 season may have ended with a dud, but that doesn't make him any different than the rest of his Yankees cohorts. He remains a folk hero in New York City, and if he departed in free agency this winter, he'd go out remembered fondly and welcomed back to any future Old-Timers' Days he desired to attend.

But this might not be the end of his rope. Though the Yankees aren't the only team reportedly chasing him, they're apparently one of the eight that have checked in recently. Given that Clay Holmes (the starter?) will be departing, a reunion could make some sense.

Then again, Kahnle used to pair his excellent changeup with a top-tier heater during his first Yankees stint from 2017-one inning in 2020. Now, he's an offspeed spammer, which worked to perfection in the regular season (2.11 ERA) and not so well against the Dodgers.

During an appearance on Foul Territory this week, Kahnle showed up in a sub-basement decked out in Eagles logos (duh) and wore an Eagles shirt (double duh), perhaps endearing himself even further to Aaron Boone in the process. Co-host (and former 2020 Yankees teammate) Erik Kratz threw Kahnle a curveball (after 28 straight changeups): would he take the security of a two-year deal with the Sacramento A's of Oakland, Nevada over a one-year pact with the Yankees? Kahnle's Dodgers-esque deferral said it all.

Yankees target Tommy Kahnle would probably follow the "allure of New York" if he had to choose

"Ahhh ... I don't know. I'd have to talk to the fam. They're definitely, uh, a big, key contributor in where we're ending up," Kahnle said kindly, before adding, "New York's always an allure, me being from New York."

Family seems to be Kahnle's primary consideration here over "allure" (believable), but New York would likely be tempting for those closest to him in this instance, too. Come on. Sacramento? Minor-league facilities? A team you know won't seek deadline reinforcements if they happen to contend?

Kahnle might be an imperfect fit with the 2025 Yankees, and if he does return, should be treated as a nice-to-have rather than a necessity. Ideally, though, for everyone's sake, it doesn't come down to the Yankees and Sacramento.

Philadelphia, we're asking nicely. This video was a cry for help. Tommy needs a life preserver. Give him a chance and treat him well.

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard for 6 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast thrice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for 10 years. He was also a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.