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.
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Nationals' George Kontos: Joins Nationals
Rotowire
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.
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Cubs' George Kontos: Joining Cubs on minors deal
Rotowire
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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Indians' George Kontos: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
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: 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: 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.
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Pirates' George Kontos: Moving to lower-leverage role
Rotowire
Kontos will no longer be the Pirates' setup man, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic Pittsburgh reports.
Kontos was not putting up numbers suitable for a setup role, recording a 4.58 ERA through 17.2 innings and striking out just 8.9 percent of batters. The Pirates will use a setup by committee approach for now, meaning Kontos is no longer a likely choice to pick up save opportunities should closer Felipe Vazquez suffer an injury.
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Pirates' George Kontos: Collects save Monday against Minnesota
Rotowire
Kontos threw one shutout inning and earned a save in Monday's win against the Twins.
Felipe Rivero, Pittsburgh's typical closer, was used in both games of Sunday's doubleheader against the Tigers. As a result, Kontos had the chance to earn his first save of the season. Although he didn't log any strikeouts, he managed to retire each of the three batters he faced. While Rivero will see the bulk of the club's save opportunities over the course of the season, the expectation is that Kontos will be used in plenty of high-leverage situations out of the bullpen.
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Pirates' George Kontos: Agrees to terms with Pirates
Rotowire
Kontas agreed to a one-year, $2.725 million contract with the Pirates on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The right-hander turned in a 1.84 ERA in 15 appearances after coming over to Pittsburgh on a waiver claim in early August, compared to a 3.83 ERA in 50 appearances with San Francisco. He altered his pitch mix a bit after the move and what resulted was fewer walks (1.8 BB/9) and homers allowed (0.61 HR/9). Kontos will likely fill a setup role to begin 2018.
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Pirates' George Kontos: Reinstated from DL
Rotowire
Kontos (groin) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Thursday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Kontos was able to get through a 20-pitch simulated game with no issues Tuesday, clearing the way for him to return before Thursday's series finale against the Cubs. The 32-year-old, who owns a 3.65 ERA through 56.2 innings this season, should immediately return to pitching high-leverage innings for the Pirates.
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Pirates' George Kontos: Tosses simulated game Tuesday
Rotowire
Kontos (groin) was able to toss a 20-pitch simulated game prior to Tuesday's contest and should be activated within the next couple days, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
This marked the first time that Kontos threw off the mound since landing on the DL on Aug. 22, and he felt fine following the brief outing. According to head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk, the right-hander is on the verge of returning to the big-league club, and should be able to slide right back into high-leverage roles for the Pirates' bullpen upon his reinstatement.
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Pirates' George Kontos: Plays catch Wednesday
Rotowire
Kontos (groin) played catch and threw off the slope of a mound Wednesday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Kontos was hoping for a minimal stay on the 10-day DL, but he's progressing a little slower than expected. The reliever is eligible to return from the disabled list whenever he's ready, but seeing as Wednesday was his first time throwing off the slope of a mound since landing on the disabled list, he'll need a little more time before rejoining the big-league bullpen.
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Pirates' George Kontos: Could return before September
Rotowire
Kontos (groin) will resume baseball activities Friday with hopes of coming off the disabled list when eligible on Aug. 30, Pirates Prospects reports.
Pittsburgh trainer Todd Tomczyk characterized the righty's groin strain as minor. Kontos has allowed one run in five games (five innings) since coming to the Pirates, recording three holds and one blown save. He's also one of the few relievers signed by the Bucs for 2018.
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Pirates' George Kontos: Placed on disabled list
Rotowire
Kontos (groin) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday.
Kontos said he would be good to go on Monday if the team needed him, suggesting the injury wasn't serious, but he will require at least a little down time. It's uncertain if he will be out longer than the minimum 10 days.
