The Reds made a roster move on Sunday, designating catcher Ben Rortvedt for assignment to clear space on the 40-man for infielder Eugenio Suárez, whose signing is now official. It’s a transactional shuffle on paper, but it also signals how Cincinnati is shaping its catching depth heading into spring.
Rortvedt, 28, never suited up for the Reds in a game. He was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers back in November, shortly after agreeing to a $1.25 million deal for the 2026 season to avoid arbitration.
The Dodgers likely figured that salary might be just high enough to sneak him through waivers unclaimed. But Cincinnati pounced, adding a left-handed hitting backstop with some big-league experience and solid defensive chops.
The catch here-no pun intended-is that Rortvedt is out of minor league options. That means he can’t be sent down without first clearing waivers, and with over three years of MLB service time, he has the right to reject an outright assignment.
However, because he’s under five years of service, doing so would mean forfeiting his guaranteed salary. That’s a tough call for any player, especially one trying to stay on a big-league radar.
Had Rortvedt cleared waivers back in November, he likely would’ve remained with the Dodgers as a non-roster depth piece. Instead, the Reds took a flier, and now they’re in a similar spot-hoping he clears this time so they can stash him as insurance behind the plate.
With this move, Cincinnati’s 40-man roster now includes just two catchers: Jose Trevino and Tyler Stephenson. Trevino, acquired earlier this offseason, brings Gold Glove-caliber defense, while Stephenson offers more offensive upside. Beyond them, the most experienced catcher in camp is Will Banfield, who has just seven MLB games under his belt.
Rortvedt, for his part, has had a career marked by flashes of potential and stretches of struggle. His 2024 season with the Rays was a bit of a breakout.
In 328 plate appearances, he slashed .228/.317/.303, good for an 87 wRC+. That’s 13% below league average overall, but catchers generally lag behind offensively, so it’s more respectable than it looks at first glance.
Factor in his solid defensive metrics-FanGraphs credited him with 1.4 WAR that year-and you’ve got a backup catcher who can hold his own.
But 2025 was a different story. Rortvedt struggled mightily with Tampa Bay, hitting just .095 over 70 plate appearances before being outrighted off the roster.
He landed with the Dodgers in a deadline deal that also involved the Reds acquiring Zack Littell. When Will Smith went down in September, the Dodgers called Rortvedt up, and he showed a bit of life at the plate, hitting .224/.309/.327 in a limited 58-plate-appearance sample.
That late-season rebound was enough for the Dodgers to try to keep him around as a depth piece behind Smith and top prospect Dalton Rushing. But now it’s Cincinnati’s turn to see if they can sneak him through waivers.
The DFA clock is ticking-teams have up to seven days to trade or waive a player after being designated. The waiver process itself takes 48 hours, so a decision is coming soon.
If Rortvedt gets claimed again, the Reds may need to go shopping for veteran catching depth on minor league deals. But if he clears, they’ll have a solid fallback option in the system-one with big-league experience, a left-handed bat, and a defensive skillset that teams value behind the plate.
For now, it’s another twist in the journey of a catcher who’s shown he can contribute when healthy and in rhythm. Whether that next opportunity comes in Cincinnati or elsewhere, Rortvedt’s name is still worth keeping an eye on as camps open across the league.