Before May of this past season, there was a joke around here and other parts of Yankees internet that Ben Rortvedt did not actually exist. The third piece of the trade with the Twins that brought Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to New York, Rortvedt was seemingly acquired to be the backup catcher in 2022.
However, he got injured that spring , and wasn’t ready for the start of the season. In his place, the Yankees acquired Jose Trevino, who took the bull by the horns and put in an All-Star first half. Rortvedt suddenly found himself as the third string catcher, and playing in Triple-A in 2022 and the start of 2023.