The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the MLB trade deadline with a clear hole behind the plate.
Will Smith was on the injured list with a neck problem and Dalton Rushing was sidelined by a partially torn UCL in his throwing elbow, leaving the club searching for a reliable backup who could stabilize the position through the stretch run.
Los Angeles ultimately completed two deals that brought in Ben Rortvedt from the New York Mets in exchange for pitcher Chayce McDermott and later added Hunter Feduccia along with right-hander Jacob Kmatz from Tampa Bay for outfielder Jack Suwinski.
However, according to Pat Ragazzo of FanSided, the Dodgers first explored a swap with the New York Yankees, inquiring about both J.C. Escarra and Ali Sanchez before those talks stalled.
Sanchez currently serves as the primary backup to starter Austin Wells and represents New York’s only right-handed option at the position.
Escarra, a left-handed hitter, has seen limited big-league action this season, batting .188 with a .510 OPS across 32 games, though his Triple-A production has been far more impressive with an .882 OPS and 10 home runs in 50 games. He is also regarded as a strong defender.
The Yankees declined to move either catcher. Their depth at the position was already thin, and Wells has endured a difficult offensive year, slashing .190/.280/.317 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI in 105 games. That slump has been an outlier compared with his 21-home-run campaign a year earlier.
Wells has shown signs of life recently, posting a .270/.337/.446 line over his last 30 games and slashing .333/.316/.667 with two homers and nine RBI in his most recent seven contests.
New York itself had hoped to add catching help at the deadline and came away empty-handed, reinforcing the club’s reluctance to part with one of its remaining options unless a suitable replacement arrived in return.
Both Smith and Rushing have since been activated. Rushing, however, cannot catch because the elbow injury still prevents him from throwing.
The Dodgers chose to retain Feduccia as the backup and designated Rortvedt for assignment on September 1. Smith is 1-for-6 in two games since his return, catching one contest and coming off the bench in the other. Los Angeles is counting on its All-Star catcher to regain his usual form now that he is healthy.
With Feduccia providing adequate support in the meantime, the club’s focus remains on reaching the postseason at full strength and letting its late-inning execution decide the rest.
