KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals today have
claimed catcher George Kottaras on Outright Waivers from the Oakland
Athletics. To create room on the 40-man roster, the club designated
infielder Tony Abreu for assignment.
The 29-year-old Kottaras has played for the Red Sox (2008-09), Brewers (2010-12) and
Athletics (2012), batting .220 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI in 249
Major League contests. The left-handed hitter posted a .351 on-base
percentage while drawing a career-high 37 walks in 85 games for
Milwaukee and Oakland in 2012 while helping the A’s win the American
League West after being acquired on July 29. He blasted six home runs
for Oakland in just 27 games and then appeared in four games during the
A’s Divisional Series vs. Detroit. Born in Scarbourough, Ontario,
Canada, Kottaras now resides in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Abreu, 28, hit .257 in 22 games for the Royals in 2012 after spending a majority of the campaign at Triple-A Omaha.
