Contract twist for Reds' newest pickup raise the exact concerns fans dreaded

The Cincinnati Reds picked up a new catcher earlier this week after claiming Ben Rortvedt off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds now have four catchers on their 40-man roster, though Will Banfield will likely be outrighted or non-tendered in the coming days.

Still, the Reds' acquisition of Rortvedt was somewhat curious. While teams this time of year are always looking to add increased depth to their roster, most agreements are Minor League deals with invites to spring training. But ESPN's Kiley McDaniel reported that Rortvedt actually agreed to a Major League contract with the Dodgers worth $1.25 million before being placed on waivers.

The Reds are now on the hook for that salary. Though it's not much, given that the Reds don't plan to increase payroll in 2026, every nickel and dime counts. Rortvedt is also out of minor-league options, meaning the Reds would have to pass him through waivers if they planned to send him down to Triple-A.

Might the Reds really look to trade Tyler Stephenson this offseason?

All of these little details matter because it could be a sign of something bigger. While most Reds fans are sure to reject the idea, the addition of Rortvedt brings rise to the idea of trading Tyler Stephenson this offseason.

Stephenson is heading into his walk-year. The former first-round pick has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining and will be a free agent after the 2026 season. MLB Trade Rumors predicts that Stephenson will take home $6.4 million next season. The Reds could, in theory, swap Rortvedt for Stephenson and free up about $5 million to spend elsewhere this offseason.

Stephenson was saddled with two different stints on the injured list last season, but still managed to mash 13 home runs and posted a respectable .737 OPS. His 33.9% strikeout rate, however, was among the worst in the league.

Rortvedt has nowhere near the offensive upside of Stephenson, but he's been an above-average defender for most of his career. If Cincinnati traded Stephenson this winter, they could conceivably go into next season with Rortvedt and Jose Trevino behind the plate — a move that would do nothing to improve a lineup that struggled to score runs in 2025.

All of this is speculation, of course, and the Reds could just be doing their due diligence by picking up Rortvedt on an inexpensive contract. Given Stephenson's injury history, having a capable backup could be worth its weight in gold.

The Reds carried three catchers for longer than they should have this past season, and eventually parted company with Austin Wynns. Reds fans don't want to see a repeat of that in 2026, but the contract details of Rortvedt's new deal (and his lack of minor-league options) add some intrigue to Cincinnati's latest pick up.