On paper, the Cincinnati Reds didn't necessarily need another catcher.
But they've got one after claiming a World Series champion off waivers on Wednesday.
The newest Reds member is Ben Rortvedt.
The Dodgers announced Wednesday that Cincinnati had claimed Rortvedt off waivers.
The 28-year old has played in 227 MLB games between the Twins, Yankees, Rays and Dodgers.
He's a career.190 hitter in the majors, but his defense is so strong that he's still been an above replacement level player.
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Rortvedt began the 2025 season with the Rays, then was part of the three-team trade before the deadline that brought Zack Littell to Cincinnati while the catcher went to L.A.
He actually started the first four games of the playoffs with Will Smith injured, and he hit.429 in that small sample size.
Rortvedt was on the roster in both the NLCS and World Series but didn't play.
His presence will give the Reds some choices to make. Both Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino remain under contract as well.
Of the group, Stephenson is the worst defender, so maybe he could play more first base or DH.
There's no guarantee Rortvedt makes the roster, but the Reds likely wouldn't have used a waiver claim on him if they didn't believe he could help them.
Rortvedt was on the field for the final out as the Dodgers ended the Reds' season in 2025. Now, he'll try to help Cincinnati make it a step further, or more, in 2026.
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