Reportedly, New York Yankees pitcher, Tommy Kahnle, re-signed with the Yankees after rejecting a much larger contract with the Boston Red Sox.
The century-old rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox began back in 1919 when they sold Babe Ruth to the Bombers. And the rest is history. Ruth went on to become one of the greatest players ever to feature in the Bombers. Moreover, Red Sox went down with what they termed the “Bambino Curse”. It was believed that Ruth left the Bambino curse onto the Red Sox, as a result of which Boston could not win a championship title in 86 years.
Meanwhile, the rivalry has been reignited again in this trade season. Boston Red Sox tried to poach Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle for the upcoming season by offering him one of the largest contracts of this trade window. However, after nearly closing the deal, Tommy reportedly ditched Sox last moment and chose to stay with the Yankees.
Tommy Kahnle Reveals What Made Him Stay At The Yankees
As it stays, Tommy Kahnle will be a part of the Yankees for two more years. He will take $11.5 million from the Bronx Bombers in the next couple of years. However, fans are curious to know what made Tommy stay with the Bombers. FYI, Red Sox lured the pitcher with a much larger contract. Moreover, the money intrigued Tommy, and he nearly closed the deal. However, the last-minute divine intervention made Tommy change his mind.
While speaking to the Athletic’s journalist Chris Kirschner, Tommy Kahnle revealed that he was very close to joining Boston in 2023. However, the comfort and familiarity that the Yankees provide are unmatchable for the pitcher. Kahnle further added that in 12 years of his Baseball career, the 33-year-old had spent 7-8 years with the Yankees. Hence, the loyalty factor kind of takes over. Furthermore, Tommy concluded by saying that it felt right for him to stay with the Bombers, and his goal is to win a championship title for the club.
“I was really close to going to Boston. But in the end, I made the choice of the familiarity,” said Kahnle.
Yankees Fans Hail Tommy For His Loyalty
New York Yankee fans are on cloud nine post the announcement. They took to Twitter to express their pleasure and also hailed Tommy Kahnle for his loyalty. Some called him a “forever Yankee,” and others praised him for his commitment. Moreover, a few even took a dig at Red Fox and said that players choose a playoff berth over money any day.
Boston Red Sox has stayed active this offseason after a humiliating debacle in 2023. They finished in last place in 2022. Hence, this has hampered the club’s chances of luring his big names. On the other hand, the Yankees are desperate to end their 13-year-long championship drought. Hence, they are doing much better in building a strong roster this season. Moreover, the loyalty factor helps the team in a big way as they managed to pull back a lot of talents back into the roaster for the 2023 season.
