Former Yankees fan favorite's Red Sox career ends amid Willson Contreras brawl

It was bound to happen sooner or later. The answer was "sooner".

Adam Weinrib

Jun 17, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Tommy Kahnle (46) pitches in the eighth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Jaiden Tripi-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tommy Kahnle made baseball history on Tuesday night, becoming the first-ever former member of the New York Yankees to join the Boston Red Sox seeking vengeance and be confirmed bad at his job.

Kidding. Partially? Maybe kidding. Maybe not.

Kahnle, on a roster featuring Caleb Durbin, Anthony Seigler, Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman all doing exceptional spite work, was unable to fit in, culminating in a brutal outing against the Washington Nationals that helped pour gasoline on the fire, extend Boston's deficit to seven, and end their Yankees-fueled winning streak at five games. After the contest ended, Kahnle was exiled as the team accounted for a massive forthcoming roster shuffle (Connelly Early will likely hit the Injured List, Willson Contreras will likely be suspended).

Kahnle started with five shutout innings in his first four games with Boston but has allowed eight earned runs in his last four outings, all one-inning appearances.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) July 1, 2026

Red Sox, Yankees have extremely long Tommy Kahnle history that might've just ended

We know the Red Sox had targeted Kahnle seemingly every offseason, even back to his Yankee days. When New York swiped him from the Dodgers after LA paid for his rehab, there were strong rumors that Boston was pushing to dissuade him. That years-long pursuit finally came to an end this offseason with a minor-league deal. Kahnle vowed immediately to stop spamming his trademark changeup, raising suspicions he could be turning into the next Chapman, aka a guy who makes a years-overdue realization the second he winds up in Boston.

After a will-they, won't-they regarding his minor-league opt out, Boston decided, "Why the hell not? All the other former Yankees we bring in kick ass." This dart throw didn't work out quite so well. His first four appearances, encompassing five innings, were scoreless. He allowed eight runs in his next four outings — including a run on Friday night against the Yankees, New York's only run of the game. That, alone, should've been a firable offense.

Kahnle, a key figure on both the 2017 Baby Bombers and 2024 World Series team, would've been welcomed back at Old-Timers' Day someday regardless of how his Red Sox tenure went. He wouldn't have demanded an apology to return like Aroldis Chapman, either. Still, it somehow feels right that, for once, the Yankees saw an old friend stolen by the Sox and it turned into something untenable.

Now ... could it be the Yankees' turn? They're not exactly working with a full bullpen over here in the Bronx ...

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.