The Dodgers placed Rortvedt — who had only rejoined the team a few days earlier — on waivers to make room for right-handed reliever Evan Phillips, whom they signed to a one-year contract worth $6.5 million.
Rortvedt has moved a lot this season, first to the Cincinnati Reds after the Dodgers left him off the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason. The Reds designated him for assignment after signing All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez, and the Dodgers claimed him while designating Anthony Banda for assignment.
Banda later joined the Minnesota Twins.
When did Ben Rortvedt first join the Dodgers?
The Dodgers first acquired Rortvedt at the trade deadline in 2025, receiving him from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team deal.
Rortvedt went straight to Triple-A, but quickly found his way to the majors.
Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, LA’s first- and second-choice catchers, went on the injured list within a week of each other in September, making Rortvedt the Dodgers’ starter.
He played 18 games with the Dodgers to end the season, even staying with the team into the postseason – making four appearances.
The catcher had a .636 OPS in the regular season and posted a 1.071 OPS in the playoffs. He hit one home run and had four RBIs in the regular season.
Do the Mets need Ben Rortvedt?
Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are the current options for the Mets at catcher, and Rortvedt has a real chance to end up in Queens.
Neither Torrens nor Alvarez are as offensively skilled as Smith, giving Rortvedt a much easier path to the MLB.
While his defensive value is harder to compare due to his limited Major League sample size, he will undoubtedly bring a championship mentality and plenty of experience to the Mets if they retain him for the remainder of the offseason.
The situation hasn’t changed for the Dodgers despite Rortvedt’s departure, as they will most likely still use Smith as the starting catcher and Rushing as the backup.
Did you want to keep Ben Rortvedt?
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