Former Dodger World Champion Cut by Mets Before Opening Day
Former Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt was designated for assignment by the New York Mets, meaning he will miss the Opening Day roster.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt was designated for assignment by the New York Mets, meaning he will miss the Opening Day roster. Rortvedt was lined up to be the third catcher on the Mets, who previously waived fellow former Dodger Austin Barnes, as Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens were both poised to secure the two catcher spots on the active roster. Teams do not carry a third catcher, and as a result, Rortvedt was waived due to his lack of any more option years on his contract.
Back in November, Rortvedt and the Dodgers agreed to a $1. 25 million deal to avoid arbitration, but the Dodgers would soon waive him, leading to his being picked up by the Cincinnati Reds. Feb 18, 2026; Port St.
Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets catcher Ben Rortvedt catches a pitch during spring training workouts at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images After a brief stint with the Reds, Rortvedt was waived again and then picked up by the Dodgers after Los Angeles moved on from Anthony Banda. Rortvedt was on the move yet again when the Dodgers added Evan Phillips to the 40-man roster, resulting in a waiver claim by the Mets.
He was added to New York’s team as a fallback option in case of an injury to either Torrens or Alvarez. The 28-year-old hit . 167/.