Kontos recently accepted a position with NBC Sports Bay Area for the Giants' pregame and postgame shows, effectively spelling an end to his playing career, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
After the Nationals released him from his minor-league deal last August, Kontos apparently didn't draw many offers from other organizations or wasn't intrigued by the opportunities that may have been available, prompting him to embark on a media career. The 35-year-old right-hander worked exclusively out of the bullpen over his 350 big-league appearances spanning eight seasons, posting a 3.10 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across stints with the Yankees, Giants, Pirates and Indians. His best years came in San Francisco, with Kontos earning his lone World Series ring as a member of the Giants' 2012 squad.
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George Kontos: Hits open market
Rotowire
The Nationals released Kontos from his minor-league contract Wednesday.
Kontos signed with the Nationals in late May with the hope of eventually earning a promotion to the big club, but that never came close to materializing after he posted a 6.07 ERA and 1.70 WHIP across 31 appearances with Fresno. The veteran reliever is now free to sign with any organization, but with the minor-league regular season drawing to a close within the next few days, he's unlikely to pitch again in 2019.
Kontos signed a minor-league deal with the Nationals on Friday, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
Kontos joined the Cubs on a minor-league deal during the offseason but didn't play a game with the organization after spring training. The 33-year-old had 28 appearances between the Indians, Yankees and Pirates last season and had a 4.39 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB over 26.2 innings. Kontos will report to Triple-A Fresno.
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Cubs' George Kontos: Dispatched to minors
Rotowire
The Cubs reassigned Kontos to their minor-league camp Saturday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Though he was attending spring training as a non-roster invitee, Kontos looked like he would have a realistic shot at winning a bullpen role with the big club at the outset of camp after reportedly increasing his fastball velocity while working out at the Driveline Baseball facility in Chicago during the offseason. Any improvement in the quality of Kontos' arsenal wasn't apparent in his spring stats, as he surrendered five runs on seven hits and one walk over 5.1 innings during Cactus League play.
Kontos agreed to a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Friday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Kontos spent time with the Pirates, Indians and Yankees last season without much success, finishing with a 4.39 ERA in 26.2 innings while striking out just 12.9 percent of opposing hitters. He reportedly increased his velocity by as much as three mph at Driveline over the offseason, though it would take a major leap for him to be anything other than a low-leverage reliever.
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Yankees' George Kontos: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
Kontos was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.
Kontos was designated for assignment Wednesday, and after clearing waivers, he'll report to the RailRiders. He's accrued a 4.39 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 15 strikeouts over 26.2 innings this season in the big leagues.
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Yankees' George Kontos: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Kontos was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Wednesday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
He was cast off the roster in order to make room for Luis Cessa, who was recalled from the minors prior to his start against the Rays on Wednesday. Kontos will take a spin through waivers to determine where he'll head next.
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Yankees' George Kontos: Contract purchased from minors
Rotowire
Kontos had his contract selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday, Marc Carig of The Athletic reports.
Kontos will provide additional depth to the club's bullpen following the placement of CC Sabathia (knee) on the 10-day disabled list in a corresponding move. Across 27 major-league appearances with Cleveland and Pittsburgh this year, he's logged a 4.68 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. Look for him to be deployed in low-leverage spots.
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Yankees' George Kontos: Traded to Yankees
Rotowire
Kontos was traded to the Yankees from the Indians on Saturday in exchange for cash considerations, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Kontos will serve an organizational depth role for the Yankees and will head straight to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 33-year-old has a 4.68 ERA in 25 big-league innings with Pittsburgh and Cleveland this year.
Kontos was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.
Kontos has now been removed from two teams' 40-man rosters this season after the Pirates previously released him in May. He'll stick around with the Indians organization this time around after going unclaimed of waivers, but he'll need to excel at Triple-A before getting another look at the big-league level.
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Indians' George Kontos: DFA'd by Indians
Rotowire
Kontos was designated for assignment by the Indians on Friday.
Kontos signed a minor-league contract with the Indians in early June after being released by the Pirates, and joined Cleveland's 40-man roster within a few weeks. The 33-year-old allowed two runs over 5.2 innings during his brief stint with the Indians after posting a 5.03 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with the Pirates, and will once again be subjected to waivers.
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Indians' George Kontos: Summoned from minors
Rotowire
Kontos had his contract purchased from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.
Kontos will replace the injured Evan Marshall (elbow) on the active roster and in the bullpen. The veteran reliever was let go by the Pirates earlier in the year after diminished velocity resulted in a brutal 5.03 ERA and just nine strikeouts across 19.2 innings. He'll likely start out in a lower-leverage relief role, but if Kontos is able to regain a few ticks on his fastball and return to last year's form (3.39 ERA across 66.1 innings), he could work his way into a more prominent spot in the bullpen.
Indians' George Kontos: Signs minors deal with Cleveland
Rotowire
Kontos signed a minor-league contract with the Indians on Sunday.
Kontos was let go by the Pirates last week after submitting a 5.03 ERA and striking out just nine batters in 19.2 innings on the season. The right-hander's significant decline in average velocity was likely at the root of his struggles, so it's difficult to envision him rediscovering the strong form he exhibited in the past few seasons unless he regains a couple ticks on his fastball.
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George Kontos: Released by Pirates
Rotowire
Kontos was placed on unconditional release waivers by the Pirates on Monday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic Pittsburgh reports.
The 32-year-old reliever has a 5.03 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and just nine strikeouts in 19.2 innings this season. He will look to latch on with another organization, likely on a minor-league deal.
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George Kontos: DFA'd by Pirates
Rotowire
Kontos was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Friday.
Kontos had a decent enough start to the season with five holds and a 3.14 ERA and 1.29 WHIP through his first 15 outings , although he did manage only two strikeouts over those 14.1 innings. The 32-year-old has fallen apart since, with seven runs allowed (six earned) on nine hits over his last six outings (two innings), causing the Pirates to move in a different direction.
