The Los Angeles Dodgers designated Ben Rortvedt for assignment just a few days ago, on Tuesday, as Will Smith and Dalton Rushing came off the injured list.
Now, a few days later, Rortvedt has cleared waivers, and the Dodgers elected to have him join Triple-A Oklahoma City outright.
What are Ben Rortvedt’s options?
Rortvedt has the choice of whether he wants to reject the assignment and enter free agency, but he is quite incentivized to stay with the Dodgers.
Given that it is past the start of September, Rortvedt is not eligible to join another team’s postseason roster, and he would need to give up his $1.25 million deal.
With Smith and Rushing back into the fold and Hunter Feduccia cementing himself as the ideal third catcher on the team, Rortvedt will not have an immediate path to playing time, barring an injury.
He can join a different team to possibly get major league playing time, but it would only be for September, or remain in the Dodgers organization and hope to get another shot down the line.
Ben Rortvedt’s history with the Dodgers
Rortvedt joined the Dodgers at the trade deadline as insurance since both Dalton Rushing and Will Smith were out.
He, along with Feduccia, was one of two catchers on the active roster, joining the team because of their previous experience with the pitching staff.
Rortvedt played 16 games for the Dodgers, making 28 plate appearances and hitting .185/.185/.185.
Despite DFA’ing him, manager Roberts expressed gratitude for Rortvedt.
“Ben’s a great teammate, he’s a Major League player, and I’ll always be grateful because he helped us win a championship last year,” Roberts told Dodgers Nation.
Rortvedt offers solid defense behind the plate, handling wild pitches well and throwing out base runners.
Dodgers pitchers have long been complimentary of what Rortvedt does in terms of calling the game and pitch selection. Overall, Rortvedt is a catcher the Dodgers value, and they will keep him around as long as possible in case of an injury.
