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The Dodgers have acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt from the New York Mets, sending pitcher Chayce McDermott to New York in return, per Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The deal was completed just hours before the 2026 trade deadline at 3 p.m. PT on Monday, August 3. This marks the Dodgers’ third move of the deadline stretch — and it’s a telling one, given the ongoing absence of Will Smith, who is still expected to miss at least three to four more weeks.

Rortvedt, 28, is a left-handed hitting catcher who was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 2017 draft out of Veritas Academy in Wisconsin. He made his major league debut with Minnesota in 2021, showing some pop in limited action before being traded to the Yankees as part of the package that sent Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the Twins ahead of the 2022 season. Rortvedt’s time in New York was derailed by a knee injury that cost him essentially the entire 2022 season. He eventually landed with the Mets, where he’s served as a backup catcher. He’s never been a prolific hitter at the big league level — his career slash line is modest — but he brings solid defensive chops behind the plate, and the left-handed bat gives the Dodgers some platoon flexibility in a catching corps that needs reinforcement right now.

McDermott, the piece heading to Queens, is a hard-throwing right-hander who came to the Dodgers organization with some intrigue. He’s been working his way through the upper minors, featuring a fastball that can touch the mid-90s with a slider that flashes plus. He’s the kind of arm that a pitching-development machine like the Mets will likely take a long look at, and he has enough upside that this isn’t a nothing piece going back in return. For the Dodgers, though, pitching depth is less of an immediate concern after the Skubal acquisition, and the need behind the plate is more pressing.

This move is straightforward and practical. With Smith still weeks away from returning and the Dodgers in the thick of what they hope is a championship run, they needed another catching option. Austin Barnes has been handling the bulk of the duties, but asking him to be an everyday catcher for an extended stretch isn’t ideal. Rortvedt gives the staff another body they can trust defensively, and his left-handed bat — even if it’s limited — is something the lineup can use. It’s not a splashy move. It doesn’t need to be. The Skubal deal was the headline grabber. This is the kind of depth acquisition that championship rosters make quietly on deadline day, plugging a real hole without overpaying. I like it. Three moves deep and the front office clearly isn’t sitting still, even after landing the biggest fish on the market.

Source(s): Aram Leighton (Just Baseball) | Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: August 3, 2026 4:15 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers