Dodgers Bolster Depth
Dodgers Acquire Bubic, Rortvedt in Trades to Bolster Bullpen and Catching for Playoff Run
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Key Points
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Kris Bubic remains a rehab project for the Dodgers: he is on the 60-day injured list with shoulder and elbow issues and has not pitched in MLB since May, but he is a former All-Star whose late-August return could bolster the bullpen for October.
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The Royals traded Bubic for a ready-made bullpen piece in Carlos Duran, addressing immediate depth needs. Duran has been an active reliever and offers a track record at the minor-league level, including a 3.38 ERA for the Dodgers' Triple-A Oklahoma City affiliate.
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The Dodgers also added catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Mets for right-hander Chayce McDermott to bolster catching depth behind Will Smith (out with a neck issue) while Dalton Rushing takes on more workload; Rortvedt has not appeared for the Mets this season and wasn’t on their 40-man roster at the time.
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This Rortvedt move continues a pattern for the Dodgers: it’s the third time the club has acquired him in roughly a year, highlighting a focus on stable catching depth and familiarity with the pitching staff during a span of turnover near the trade deadline.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made two depth moves ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring left-hander Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals and catcher Ben Rortvedt from the New York Mets. ABC7 reported the Dodgers sent minor league right-hander Carlos Duran to Kansas City and right-hander Chayce McDermott to New York in the separate deals.
Neither move fills an immediate hole — Bubic is on the 60-day injured list and Rortvedt did not appear for the Mets this season. But both deals reflect the Dodgers' bet on late-season upside as they push toward October, according to True Blue LA.
Bubic Is Hurt But Was an All-Star Last Year
Bubic made the All-Star team last season, but 2025 has been a disaster. He posted a 4.11 ERA in nine starts before his last outing on May 14, then landed on the 60-day injured list with shoulder and elbow problems, per True Blue LA. He has not thrown a pitch in the majors since.
The Dodgers are betting he returns healthy in late August. If he does, he adds a left-handed arm to a bullpen that could use the depth in October. It is a low-risk gamble — the cost was Duran, a minor league reliever who had a 3.38 ERA at the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, per ABC30.
Royals Got What They Needed: A Ready Bullpen Arm
Kansas City was not interested in waiting on a rehabbing starter. The Royals wanted a bullpen piece they could use now. Duran fits that profile. He has been active as a reliever and brings real minor league experience to a Kansas City team still fighting in the AL Central.
True Blue LA noted that Duran had been pitching for Oklahoma City before the deal. The trade makes sense for both sides — the Royals get immediate help, and the Dodgers get a high-upside arm they hope will be ready when it matters most.
Dodgers Grab Rortvedt for the Third Time in a Year
The Rortvedt deal is a strange one on paper. He did not play a single game for the Mets this season and was not on their 40-man roster when the trade was made. The Dodgers sent right-hander Chayce McDermott to New York to get him, per ABC7.
But this is now the third time the Dodgers have acquired Rortvedt in roughly one year. That pattern tells a story: Los Angeles trusts him behind the plate and values his familiarity with the pitching staff. With starter Will Smith out due to a neck issue and Dalton Rushing handling a heavier workload, the Dodgers needed a steady backup they already knew.
Two Moves, One Clear Goal: Survive Until October
NBC Sports noted that the Bubic deal makes sense as a depth move if he can return healthy. The Dodgers are not rebuilding — they are stacking options. They already have one of the sport's deepest rosters and a rotation headlined by elite arms.
These two trades follow the same logic. Neither Bubic nor Rortvedt is a star addition. But both fill real gaps — catching depth and bullpen length — that could matter in a seven-game playoff series. The Dodgers are not swinging for headlines. They are plugging holes before they become problems.
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