Los Angeles Dodgers Officially Release 6-Year MLB Veteran

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt has elected free agency, according to the MiLB transaction log.

The 29-year-old backstop first appeared in the major leagues back in 2021, debuting. with the Minnesota Twins.

He chose minor-league free agency after being outrighted off the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in early September.

That assignment, combined with more than three years of MLB service time and no subsequent return to the active roster, granted him the right to become a free agent once the season concluded.

Rortvedt’s path with Los Angeles was circuitous.

He joined the club at the 2025 trade deadline, appeared in 18 regular-season games (hitting .224/.309/.327 with one home run) and four playoff contests, and earned a World Series ring.

After the championship, he was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds, reclaimed by the Dodgers, then claimed by the New York Mets, who outrighted him to Triple-A before Opening Day.

The Dodgers reacquired him from the Mets on August 3, 2026, in a deal for pitcher Chayce McDermott, as injuries to Will Smith and Dalton Rushing created a need for catching depth.

He played 16 games for Los Angeles in August, posting a .185/.185/.185 line over 28 plate appearances (five hits in 27 at-bats).

Across 243 career MLB games and 661 plate appearances with the Twins, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Dodgers, Rortvedt has batted .189/.275/.266 with nine home runs and 53 RBI.

A left-handed-hitting catcher drafted by Minnesota in the second round in 2016 out of Verona Area High School in Wisconsin, he has long been valued more for his defensive work and familiarity with pitching staffs than for his bat.

As a 29-year-old journeyman, Rortvedt is expected to land a minor-league deal and compete for a backup or Triple-A depth role in spring training 2027.

Given the Dodgers’ repeated interest in him as organizational catching insurance, a return to Los Angeles remains plausible, though he is free to explore opportunities elsewhere.

After an NLCS exit, the Dodgers have plenty of questions to answer this winter.