Ben Rortvedt's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt from the New York Yankees on Wednesday in a three-team deal that also included the Miami Marlins, according to a source. The Marlins landed prospect Shane Sasaki from the Rays and prospect John Cruz from the Yankees. Rortvedt, 26, was out of minor-league options and wasn't going to make New York's Opening Day roster as a third catcher, so he now moves to Tampa, where he's expected to be the backup to starter Rene Pinto. He is more of a defense-first catcher and has hit just .146/.234/.255 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 71 major-league games in two seasons with the Yankees and Minnesota Twins. Rortvedt will be off the fantasy radar in two-catcher and AL-only leagues unless Pinto gets hurt and misses time.

New York Yankees catcher Ben Rortvedt, who worked almost exclusively as right-hander Gerrit Cole's personal catcher last year when he won the American League Cy Young, is likely to either be traded or outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start the year with Jose Trevino and Austin Wells expected to split the playing time behind the dish in 2024. Rortvedt is considered a better defender than Wells, but Wells is the superior hitter, which has given him the apparent leg up on the competition. Rortvedt is out of minor-league options. Even more telling has been the fact that Cole has been working with Wells, and not Rortvedt, in spring training. The 26-year-old Rortvedt hit just .118/.241/.221 with two home runs in 79 plate appearances for the Yankees in 2023.