It’s not often that the Los Angeles Dodgers make questionable decisions. After all, the two-time defending World Series champions didn’t get there for no reason, and they remain the class of the league when it comes to talent evaluation and development. Still, no organization is perfect, and in searching for catching help at this week’s trade deadline, I believe the White Sox’ gamble on a former second-overall pick was a smarter gamble than the moves the Dodgers made, which felt like they were made out of desperation.
With several teams hunting for a catcher and a few potential options, there seemed to be room for everyone to come away happy. Things didn’t exactly go as planned, however. The Red Sox and Rays made big swings at the position, adding Adley Rutschman and Liam Hicks, respectively. Three of the stronger rental options in Tyler Stephenson, Ryan Jeffers, and Jonah Heim, didn’t end up being traded. That left teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, and White Sox, each dealing with their own share of catching issues, to scramble to find help. The Yankees chose not to add anyone, and the White Sox and Dodgers each made marginal upgrades to their roster. Chicago added Joey Bart from the Braves and the Dodgers got Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt from Tampa Bay and the Mets, respectively.
The White Sox gamble on Joey Bart has genuine upside
In Bart, the White Sox gambled on a former high draft pick that has started to find more offensive success over the past three seasons. The team has virtually had a black hole at the catcher position outside of Kyle Teel’s contributions, and they’ll be without Teel for at least a month longer as he rehabs an ankle sprain. Bart will be serviceable, but not great, defensively and has some genuine offensive upside. The White Sox have prioritized bat speed with their offense this season and Bart performs strongly in that area, averaging 75.5 MPH on his swings-- second only to Colson Montgomery on the White Sox roster. His size and strength should leave quite a bit of room for power potential. He’s certainly a surer bet for offensive production than Edgar Quero and Drew Romo.
Joey Bart hits a go-ahead homer in his return to Pittsburgh! pic.twitter.com/kzHvPSnD5a
— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2026
The Dodgers, who landed Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Fedducia, took a completely different approach to the position at the deadline. Both Rortvedt and Fedducia have played in the Dodgers organization before, so they’re familiar with the team’s processes and pitching staff. Neither has a history of strong performance on either side of the ball, so the familiarity with the staff is the only real asset they’re bringing to the table. Both catchers, Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, are now on the injured list for the Dodgers, but both are expected back this season, so these moves were a temporary fix. Still, it’s fair to wonder if either player is even really an upgrade over what they had in the organization.
The White Sox, like the Dodgers, are in first place in their division and are looking to make the postseason. Both teams are expected to get their starting backstops back in the near future, and both teams were looking for a temporary fix to a growing problem. The White Sox found an affordable option with genuine offensive upside, while the Dodgers prioritized names they already knew. I think the White Sox made the smarter gamble here, but only time will tell.
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