The Dodgers did something today. Something that raises questions.
The Dodgers claimed the catcher Ben Rortvedt and referred to as LHP Anthony Banda for assignment.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 6, 2026
Ben Rortvedt is back. It was hard to believe the Dodgers would enter the season Eliezer Alfonso And Chuckie Robinson as the number 3 catcher in the org. But there’s more to it than this.
They avoided arbitration with Rortvedt, who is out of options, for $1.25 million after the World Series. They tried to get him to Triple-A. It didn’t work (initially). They signed Andy Ibanez to a $1.2 million deal and tried to get him to Triple-A. It didn’t work, as he claimed today by West Sacramento Athletics. Now they have designated Anthony Banda for assignment. Him and the Dodgers avoided arbitration last month – $1.625 million. Since he has more of a track record, there’s a good chance he can be traded (Dodgers have to trade him within a week, or he can accept assignment to Triple-A or opt for free agency).
This seemingly new strategy is something I wrote about two days ago.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a new trend around the MLB (if not just for the Dodgers, specifically) – signing an arbitration-eligible or veteran player to a small MLB contract only to DFA him if the roster spot is needed. The signing team values the player enough to want the deal, but the signing team also doesn’t want to lose the player for any reason. If this becomes a new trend to gain organizational depth – perhaps a new market inefficiency – I hope it becomes clear communicated to the player and his agent/agency On the other hand, if you sign a deal for anything over $1 million the current MLByou are probably already aware of the scheduling risk associated with this. Players on the fringes of the 40-man roster are well aware of their status, but this usually happens to players who make the minimum or have recently emerged from the minors.”
One addendum I would like to add here is that said player should not have MiLB options – which Banda, Ibanez and Rortvedt all are.
Then there is Dalton hurry. He’s coming off a lackluster MLB debut in which he hit .204/.258/.324 with a 62 wRC+ and an ugly 37.4 K%. He was a Top 50 prospect heading into the 2024 season, so it’s not like the Dodgers are just going to give him away in a trade. However, claiming a catcher without options could be a signal that the Dodgers could move the current backup catcher. They don’t carry three catchers, especially with Ironman Freddie Vrijman at first base, the outfield which is relatively talked about, and that one Shohei Ohtani man, who locked up the hitter.
This feels more like the Dodgers are once again going to try to get Rortvedt to Triple-A. But the chances of a Rushing trade happening aren’t zero. More likely than a trade is Rushing to start the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, as he still has MiLB options remaining.
Now that the hard work appears to be done, Andrew Friedman and Co. to flex their muscles at the edge of the 40-man roster – as nerds (for free) do.
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