The New York Mets claimed catcher Ben Rortvedt off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
The Dodgers placed Rortvedt — who had only rejoined the team a few days prior — on waivers to make room for right-handed reliever Evan Phillips, who they signed to a one-year, $6.5 million contract.
Rortvedt has moved around a lot this offseason, first going to the Cincinnati Reds after the Dodgers left him off the 40-man roster at the beginning 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.
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Banda later joined the Minnesota Twins.
Sep 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt (47) hits a RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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, L.A.’s first and second choice catchers, landed on the injured list within a week of each other in September, leaving Rortvedt as the Dodgers’ starter.
He played 18 games with the Dodgers to close the season, and even remained with the squad into the postseason — making four appearances.
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The catcher had a .636 OPS in the regular season, and managed a 1.071 OPS in the playoffs. He hit a single home run and tallied 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 at making the team in Queens.
Neither Torrens nor Alvarez are as offensively skilled as Smith, giving Rortvedt a much easier path to 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 should they hold onto him for the remainder of the offseason.
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The situation hasn’t changed for the Dodgers despite Rortvedt’s departure, as they will most likely still run Smith as their starting catcher and Rushing as their backup.
Did you want to keep Ben Rortvedt?
