The Dodgers did a thing today. A thing that raises some questions.
The Dodgers claimed catcher Ben Rortvedt and designated LHP Anthony Banda for assignment.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 6, 2026
Ben Rortvedt is back. It was hard to believe the Dodgers would go into the season with Eliezer Alfonzo and Chuckie Robinson as the No. 3 catcher in the org. But, there’s more to it than this.
They avoided arbitration with Rortvedt, who is out of options, for $1.25 million after the World Series. They tried to get him to Triple-A. It didn’t work (initially). They signed Andy Ibanez to a $1.2 million deal and tried to get him to Triple-A. It didn’t work, as he was claimed by the West Sacramento Athletics today. Now, they’ve designated Anthony Banda for assignment. He and the Dodgers avoided arbitration last month — $1.625 million. Because he has more of a track record, there’s a good chance he could be traded (Dodgers have to trade him within a week, or he can accept the assignment to Triple-A or elect free agency).
This seemingly new strategy is something I wrote about two days ago.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a new trend around MLB (if not just for the Dodgers, specifically) — signing an arbitration-eligible or veteran player to a small, MLB contract only to DFA him when the roster spot is needed. The signing team values said player enough to want the deal, but the signing team also doesn’t want to lose the player for whatever reason(s). If this is to become a new trend to accumulate organizational depth — a new market inefficiency, perhaps — I’d hope it’s communicated clearly to the player and his agent/agency. Then again, if you’re signing a deal for just north of $1 million in today’s MLB, you’re probably already aware of the roster risk involved. Players on the fringes of the 40-man roster are well aware of their standing, but this usually happens with guys making the minimum or who are recently up from the minors.”
An addendum I’d add here is that said player has to be out of MiLB options — which Banda, Ibanez and Rortvedt all are.
Then there’s Dalton Rushing. He’s coming off a lackluster MLB debut that saw him hit .204/.258/.324 with a 62 wRC+ and an ugly 37.4 K%. He was a Top 50 prospect heading into the 2024 season, so it’s not like the Dodgers would just give him away in a trade. However, claiming a catcher with no options could signal the Dodgers might move the current backup catcher. They aren’t carrying three catchers, especially with ironman Freddie Freeman at first base, the outfield relatively spoken for and that one Shohei Ohtani guy, who has designated hitter on lock.
This feels more like the Dodgers are going to try, again, to get Rortvedt to Triple-A. But there’s a non-zero chance a trade of Rushing could happen. More likely than a trade is that Rushing begins the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City since he has MiLB options remaining.
With the heavy lifting seemingly done, Andrew Friedman and Co., are trying to flex their muscles on the fringes of the 40-man roster — as nerds (complimentary) do.
