THE NEXT YANKEE RECLAMATION PROJECT

I love strategy. That's why when teams find a reclamation project, take a risk and it pays off it makes baseball even more exciting. Every team looks for them, hell fans look for them too. The Yankees are proving this season that they aren't afraid to gamble, and I hope it works.

It feels weird to call Troy Tulowitzki a reclamation project. He was an elite player in his days with the Colorado Rockies, but we saw a different Tulo in Toronto after his injuries held him back. The Yankees took a gamble with Tulo, and why not? Toronto is on the hook for the $37 million left on his contract with them. When they cut him loose the Yankees signed him for $555,000 and if he can be productive for the Yankees and stay healthy that will be the best money spent. No risk, and high reward. It's what teams and fans salivate over.

But Tulo isn't the only reclamation project, there's another guy who has already worn the Yankee uniform. Remember Tommy Kahnle? I prefer to remember him as the reliable guy the Yankees acquired prior to the 2017 trade deadline who was having a dominant season. He was a huge pickup because he came with three seasons of team control. The Yankees envisioned that a guy like Kahnle could help the Yankees contend not only in 2017, but beyond.

Then something went wrong this past season. The wheels fell off. Kahnle struggled early; he threw 23.1 innings with a 6.56 ERA and his walk rate was 14%. Oh and then he got hurt and was sent down to Triple-A where he continued to struggle. The guy the Yankees couldn't wait to give the ball to in 2017 suddenly became the guy they wanted to keep away from the ball.

Yet here we are, as bad a Kahnle was last season he has an opportunity to earn his spot back. He's out of minor league options so the Yankees won't be able to stash him down in Triple-A again. I don't think that will guarantee him a spot though, he is still going to have to earn that back, especially if the Yankees sign Adam Ottavino then there will be fewer spots to go around. I think the Yankees will keep the best arms regardless, but there are two things to consider with Kahnle.

1. He says he is finally healthy

He spent almost two months on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation and when he returned he never looked like himself. He says he just tried to pitch through it but it looks like that just made a bad situation worse. He wasn't on the postseason roster so that gave him extra time to rest and recover. Kahnle is still 29, so he's not at the age where you expect him to regress. Hopefully the extra rest does the trick.

2. If the Yankees didn't believe in him, they would've non-tendered himThe Yankees have more of a 40-man roster crunch this season compared to last. If they didn't think he was salvageable then they could've easily eaten his small salary and dropped him and used his roster spot for someone else, but they didn't. The Yankees are already over the luxury tax, so if they wanted to save a little money (every little bit counts) they could've just cut him. Obviously the Yankees are at least willing to take him into Spring Training and see what he has to offer. If the wheels fall off again they could still cut him. But the fact that Kahnle is still around shows that the Yankees think he is still capable and they can save him.

I hope Tulo and Kahnle both have bounce back seasons. Not only would it be good for the Yankees and exciting for baseball fans.....but who doesn't love a good comeback story?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj