The New York Yankees reunited with veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle in free agency on a two-year deal. In order to clear up space for Kahnle on the roster, the Yankees surprisingly opted to designate left-hander Lucas Luetge for assignment, according to Bryan Hoch.

Via Hoch on Twitter:

“The Yankees announced RHP Tommy Kahnle's two-year contract. LHP Lucas Luetge was designated for assignment.”

Kahnle returns to the Yankees on a two-year contract that will pay him $11.5 million over the course of the deal. Some fans were expecting the organization to part ways with hard-throwing right-hander Albert Abreu, but it was Luetge who was DFA'd Wednesday, instead.

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Moving on from the southpaw means the Yankees will likely need to dip back into the free-agency pool in order to find another left-handed reliever. As it stands, the only lefty in the Yankees' bullpen is Wandy Peralta. Luetge was expected to serve as an additional lefty out of the bullpen in 2023, but it seems Brian Cashman and Co. have different plans for the roster next season.

In 2022, Lucas Luetge made 50 relief appearances for the Yankees, registering a 2.67 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. He spent two seasons with the organization from 2021-22 and had a sub-3.00 ERA in both years. Despite his effective results on the mound, the Yankees opted against retaining him. While he's not a star reliever by any stretch, he's been serviceable during his tenure in the Bronx.

As for Kahnle, he's been battling injuries throughout the past few seasons. Since the start of the 2020 season, Kahnle has pitched just 13.1 innings. He was with the Yankees from 2017-20, making 129 appearances during that span with a 4.01 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 112.1 innings.