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The Cubs have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Brad Brach that also includes an option for 2020. However, they aren’t done trying to add another arm to Joe Maddon’s bullpen.
After Brach’s contract was reported, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine said he’s hearing that more moves are coming on the North Side. One possible addition could be right-handed pitcher George Kontos.
According to Levine, the Cubs are one of five teams that have been talking with the free agent reliever.
Cubs add good arm to pen with Brad Brach signing. Pending physical. Told more pen additions will follow . Cubs one of five teams talking to veteran reliever George Kontos . Kontos ( Chicago native) averaged 65 games 2015/17)
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) January 24, 2019
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Kontos, 33, has pitched the majority of his career with the Giants. He was really good from 2015-17, with the Giants and a short stint with the Pirates. In those three years, the righty had a 2.33 ERA, 2.53 ERA and 3.39 ERA, pitching in at least 53 innings each season.
The Pirates claimed him off waivers in August 2017, and he had a 1.84 ERA in 15 games to end the season. However, 2018 was a rough one for Kontos. He was released in May by the Pirates after putting up a 5.03 ERA in 19.2 innings. He was then picked up by Cleveland, where he only lasted for one month before he was DFA’d. Kontos pitched in six games prior to his DFA and was eventually traded to the Yankees.
Kontos only made one appearance with the Yankees in 2018.
Overall he has a 3.10 ERA and 1.15 career WHIP in 357 innings, since making his MLB debut in 2011, with the Yankees. Kontos was a fifth round draft pick in 2006, by the Yankees out of Northwestern.
Now, time for a couple fun facts. Remember when Travis Wood hit a home run in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Giants at Wrigley Field? That was off George Kontos!
Oh, and there’s also this interesting tidbit.
Looking up George Kontos because the Cubs are reportedly pursuing him according to Bruce Levine and I find this pic.twitter.com/GMaIDINOpr
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) January 24, 2019
Good to know!
Kontos attended Niles West High School in Skokie before going to Northwestern to continue his baseball career in college.
