Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports that the Rangers are interested in Cubs catcher George Kottaras. The Rangers are going to be without Geovany Soto for the next 10-12 weeks as he recovers from knee surgery, so there's a need for depth. Kottaras has been expected to open the 2014 season as the backup to Cubs catcher Welington Castillo, but Chicago has other options.

George Kottaras went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run against the Rockies on Wednesday. Kottaras will serve as the Cubs' second-string catcher, backing up Welington Castillo. He has never been much with the bat, but he has a mastery of the strike zone, making him a better play in leagues that use on-base percentage.

Cubs avoided arbitration with C George Kottaras by agreeing to a one-year, $1.075 million contract. Kottaras was acquired from the Royals in a trade last week. He batted only .180/.349/.370 over 126 plate appearances in 2013 but has a bit of pop and will take a walk. He should open 2014 as Welington Castillo's backup.

Cubs acquired C George Kottaras from the Royals for cash considerations. Kottaras was designated for assignment by Kansas City last week after batting just .180/.349/.370 over 126 plate appearances in 2013. The 30-year-old will be in the running for backup catcher next spring in Cubs camp.

Royals designated C George Kottaras for assignment. The move was made in order to clear room on the 40-man roster for the addition of Jason Vargas. Kottaras hit just .180/.349/.370 in 126 plate appearances for the Royals in 2013 and was likely going to be non-tendered. He'll look for a backup job elsewhere.

George Kottaras has just two hits this season. Kottaras has started only four games this season and hasn't registered a hit since April 28. He's batting .125/.364/.375 this season, somehow drawing six walks in 21 plate appearances despite his lamp bat.

Royals claimed C George Kottaras off waivers from the Athletics. Kottaras won't get much playing time unless Salvador Perez gets injured, but he represents a nice upgrade over Brett Hayes as the backup. The 29-year-old batted .211/.351/.415 with nine homers last year between the Brewers and A's.

Chad Jennings of the Journal News reports that the Yankees aren't interested in George Kottaras. Kottaras was designated for assignment by the Athletics last week following the acquisition of John Jaso. While there was some speculation that the Yankees could have interest, they appear poised to open the season with a catching tandem of Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart.

Athletics designated C George Kottaras for assignment. The move was made in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for John Jaso. Kottaras is a viable backup, at the very least, and seems likely to be traded. He's slated to make $1 million in 2013 after batting .211/.351/.415 with nine homers last year.

Athletics and C George Kottaras avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract. No word yet on the terms involved. Kottaras, who was arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter, made $700,000 last season while hitting .211/.351/.415 with nine home runs, 31 RBI and a .766 OPS in 209 plate appearances between the Brewers and Athletics. He's slated to begin 2013 as Derek Norris' backup.