After another disappointing campaign, the Pittsburgh Pirates are staring down the barrel at a wildly important offseason. The front office needs to find a way to begin putting some pieces of their rebuild into place, and it starts with bringing some new faces to town. On Sunday, reports emerged indicating that an old friend had found a new home in the majors.
That player would be former catcher Jason Delay, who spent time with Pittsburgh in the majors from 2022 to 2024. After playing for the Atlanta Braves Triple-A affiliate in 2025, Delay has reportedly latched on with the Boston Red Sox, signing a minor league contract with them ahead of the upcoming 2026 season.
“The Red Sox and catcher Jason Delay have agreed to a minor league deal, sources tell Just Baseball,” Aram Leighton reported in a post on X. “Delay, 30, saw MLB action in parts of three seasons for the Pirates, posting an OPS of .610 in 134 games but grades very well as a framer. Spent last year at Braves AAA affiliate.”
In 134 games with the Pirates, Delay hit .231 with two home runs and 35 RBIs. Known more for his defensive capabilities, Delay is one of the best pitch framers behind the plate, which makes him a valuable option off the bench, assuming he can hit enough at the plate to keep himself in the majors.
While the Red Sox already have Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong in place at the catcher position, having an extra layer of depth behind them that has MLB experience could end up being very beneficial. With moves already being made across the league, the Pirates will look to get themselves on the board soon as the 2025 season nears its conclusion.
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