CUBS BRING ABOARD CATCHER KOTTARAS
The Chicago Cubs acquired catcher George Kottaras from the Kansas City Royals for cash.
What does it give the Chicago Cubs
A left-handed batter, Kottaras has plenty of appeal as a backup catcher. That said, the Cubs will be his fifth big-league team since 2008 (Boston, Milwaukee, Oakland and Kansas City were the others). Cubs President Theo Epstein is familiar with Kottaras from their days in Boston, so there's a connection here. Kottaras should compete for the No. 2 catcher job behind emerging talent {P Welington Castillo} in 2014.
What does it give the Kansas City Royals
The Royals decided to designate Kottaras for assignment recently, so they weren't going to land much in return for his services. Kottaras struggled in 2013 and has since been replaced on Kansas City's depth chart by both {P Brett Hayes} and {P Francisco Pena}. One of them (or perhaps both) will back up {P Salvador Perez} next season. The Royals added a little bit of cash in this deal, so not all is lost here.
Fantasy impact
Kottaras is now 30 and his fantasy prospects are fading quickly. He might see a bit more action in Chicago in 2014, but at this point he's nothing more than a major long shot.
