Ben Rortvedt Elects Free Agency

Catcher Ben Rortvedt has chosen to become a minor league free agent, according to his MLB.com profile page.  This was the expected outcome after Rortvedt was outrighted off the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in September, as that outright assignment (without being selected again to the active roster) plus Rortvedt’s three-plus years of career MLB service time qualified him for minor league free agency.

Rortvedt earned a World Series ring for his 18 regular-season games and four playoff games with the 2025 Dodgers, and a rather circuitous route took him back to Los Angeles at this year’s trade deadline.  A series waiver claims saw Rortvedt go from the Dodgers to the Reds in November, back to the Dodgers in early February, then to the Mets in mid-February.  New York designated Rortvedt for assignment prior to Opening Day and he accepted the outright to Triple-A, where the catcher played until the Dodgers re-acquired Rortvedt yet again on deadline day.

Injuries to both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing prompted L.A. to trade for both Rortvedt and another ex-Dodger in Hunter Feduccia at the deadline, in order to bolster the catching depth chart.  Rortvedt ended up playing in 16 games for Los Angeles in August, posting the easy-to-remember batting line of .185/.185/.185 over 28 plate appearances.

Over 243 games and 661 PA with the Twins, Yankees, Rays, and Dodgers, Rortvedt has hit .189/.275/.266 with nine home runs as a big leaguer.  A journeyman at age 29, Rortvedt is likely to sign a minor league deal and head to Spring Training to compete for a backup job, though a Triple-A depth role might be the likelier outcome.  Given how the Dodgers clearly like Rortvedt in such a role, a new contract with Los Angeles certainly seems possible.