Will compete for No. 1 role Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone both said Monday that Rortvedt will compete with Kyle Higashioka for playing time behind the plate during spring train... Impact Before he was dealt to the Yankees on Sunday as part of the trade that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins, Rortvedt was a relative unknown after batting .169 over 98 plate appearances in 39 games as a part-time catcher for the Twins in 2021. The 24-year-old never posted an OPS better than .750 at any stop of the minors, but he was apparently a coveted piece for the Yankees thanks to his exceptional framing skills behind the plate. In that respect, Rortvedt is a dramatic departure from the bat-first Sanchez, and his inclusion in the deal along with another strong up-the-middle defender in shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa perhaps signals a shift in a Yankees organization that had gone all in on offense for a while. Rortvedt's stellar defense alone may not be enough to earn him the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, however, as he may need to tap into a little more pop to hold off the more experienced Higashioka for starts. At least early on, the lefty-hitting Rortvedt may have to settle for the large side of a platoon with the righty-hitting Higashioka.
MARCH 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
