Dodgers’ Former Backstop Joins Rival Club After Latest Cut

BusinessSportsMoneyDodgers’ Former Backstop Joins Rival Club After Latest CutByPeter Chawaga,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Peter Chawaga is a writer and editor covering Major League Baseball.Follow AuthorMay 17, 2026, 06:00am EDTLOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 17: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Wynns (29) at bat during the MLB game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 17, 2023 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Los Angeles Dodgers recently made an unprecedented move with perennial All-Star catcher Will Smith.When two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was given a day off from hitting amid some struggles at the plate, Smith was moved into the leadoff spot for the first time in his career and performed pretty well.“The Dodgers didn't wait long to prove they could produce without their top-of-the-order superstars,” Courtney Hollmon wrote for MLB.com. “In his first career appearance in the leadoff spot, Will Smith took (San Francisco) Giants starter Landen Roupp deep to right-center field.”ForbesBlue Jays’ All-Star Replacement Sends Trade Message With Roster Move LoomingBy Peter ChawagaLos Angeles Dodgers’ Austin Wynns Left Team After Very Short StintIt was the latest accomplishment for Smith, who has been one of the best catchers in all of baseball in his tenure with the Dodgers. And with Smith’s backup Dalton Rushing emerging as a dangerous slugger in his own right, the team is well stocked at the catcher position.That is one reason why the team felt comfortable putting former backstop Austin Wynns onto waivers in 2023, after he caught just five big-league games for the team.Some Dodgers fans will remember Wynns for that very brief stint with the big-league team, which produced two hits. But he’s probably best known overall for the 2022 season with the division rival San Francisco Giants. In that cam...