The Cincinnati Reds designated former Los Angeles Dodgers World Series champion catcher Ben Rortvedt for assignment Tuesday.
The Reds signed All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027, and needed to make room on their roster.
Rortvedt came to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2025 as part of a three-team trade involving the Tampa Bay Rays and the Reds.
How Did Ben Rortvedt Contribute to the Dodgers in 2025?
After being sent to the Dodgers, Rortvedt quickly found himself with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He played 17 games with the Comets, posting a .667 OPS with two homers and six RBIs.
In September, though, the 28-year-old got his shot. Will Smith suffered a hand injury and sat out for nearly a month, and Dalton Rushing wore a foul ball off of his knee and went to the injured list shortly after.
With their first and second-choice catchers both out with injury, the Dodgers called on Rortvedt to man the starting spot in their absence. He slashed .224/.309/.327 in his 18 regular season games with the Dodgers, and even found some time during the postseason.
Oct 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt (47) fields a throw to make an out at home plate against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
He played great come October, batting .429 in seven at-bats and posting a 1.071 OPS with an RBI during his four games.
Throughout his time in MLB in 2025, Rortvedt hovered around league average as far as his defensive metrics are concerned.
The Dodgers designated Rortvedt for assignment after the regular season because he didn’t have any minor league options remaining and the Dodgers didn’t intend to keep three catchers on their 40-man roster heading into the offseason.
The Reds claimed him off waivers shortly after.
Earlier in the offseason, Rortvedt commented on the support from Dodgers fans, expressing his appreciation for the love he felt in L.A.
“It was tough when I came in but I really appreciate the support,” he said. “It’s been really cool to come in and try to do my job but feel support from the fans and be able to be myself.”
The World Series champion will likely find a new team before the end of the offseason, with quality backup catchers in MLB few and far between. Could the Dodgers take a shot on Rortvedt again?
Yankees’ Opening Day Rotation Predicted By Bleacher Report
With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón starting the year on the Injured List, what will the New York Yankees‘ rotation look like on Opening Day?
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter had a go at answering that question on Monday. Reuter predicted that the Yanks’ rotation will be, in order, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Ryan Weathers, and Will Warren.
Reuter also reminded readers that Clarke Schmidt will be on the IL to begin the season, joining Cole and Rodón. Furthermore, Reuter listed Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn as “other internal candidates” for the rotation.
“The Yankees addressed their need for quality depth with the blockbuster deal to acquire Ryan Weathers, but equally important will be a bounce-back season from Luis Gil,” Reuter wrote. “The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year logged just 57 innings of work in 2025, and tallied almost as many walks (33) as strikeouts (41) before taking the loss with an early exit in Game 1 of the ALDS.”