The New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox pulled off a
blockbuster of a trade on Tuesday night that brought three players from Chicago
to New York and left four players turning in their Yankees pinstripes for White
Sox uniforms. That much we know but how much does the average fan know about
the former Yankees farmhand that was lost to the Colorado Rockies via the Rule
5 Draft that the team acquired in Tommy Kahnle? Now much? Well you’re in luck
because this is Meet a Prospect: The Tommy Kahnle Special Edition!
Thomas Robert Kahnle was born on August 7, 1989 and has
spent time in the Major Leagues with both the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago
White Sox. First things first though and the first thing is High School
baseball. Kahnle spent his high school years attending and playing baseball at
Shaker High School in Latham, New York before heading to Lynn University in
Boca Raton, Florida. It was in Boca Raton that Kahnle caught the attention of
the New York Yankees who drafted the right-hander in the fifth round of the
2010 MLB First Year Players Draft.
Kahnle was assigned immediately to the Staten Island Yankees
in the New York/Penn League where he made 11 appearances pitching to a 0.56 ERA
with 25 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched. That was enough to earn Kahnle a call
up to the Charleston Riverdogs in Low-A Ball for the 2011 before progressing to
the High-A Tampa Yankees and the Trenton Thunder in 2012. Kahnle was developing
fast, pitching fast and progressing through the Yankees system faster than many
probably imagined.
Kahnle was invited to Yankees spring training camp in 2013
but ultimately did not make the team out of spring training camp. Instead
Kahnle earned an Eastern League All-Star bid finishing the season with a 2.85
ERA with 74 strikeouts in just 60 innings. The Yankees left Kahnle available
and unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft that season and the Colorado Rockies chose
him in the draft. Kahnle was placed in the Rockies bullpen for the 2014 season
and the right-hander made his MLB debut on April 3. Kahnle spent the 2014 and
2015 seasons in Colorado before being designated for assignment following the
2015 season and before ultimately being traded to the Chicago White Sox for
Yency Almonte.
Kahnle was then traded to the Yankees this week where his
professional career all began. Some are left scratching their heads as to why
the Yankees would want Kahnle back but others see his amazing strikeout numbers
and number of years of team control and see a guy to build a bullpen around. I
am definitely the latter and not the former so let me be the first to welcome
you back not only to the organization but back to the family as well. Welcome
back Tommy! Stay a while this time.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)