The Red Sox have signed catcher Jason Delay to a minor league deal, according to Just Baseball Media’s Aram Leighton. Presumably the contract contains an invitation for Delay to attend Boston’s big league Spring Training camp.
Delay was a fourth-round pick for the Pirates in the 2017 draft, and he had spent his entire pro career in Pittsburgh’s organization before he was traded to the Braves back in April. Atlanta wanted a bit of extra catching depth while Sean Murphy was on the injured list, but Delay ended up not getting any action at the big league level. Delay instead hit .200/.261/.257 over 251 plate appearances at the Double-A and (mostly) Triple-A levels before he was outrighted off the 40-man roster at the end of July.
Though Delay could’ve opted for free agency since he had a past outright on his record, he chose to stick it out with Triple-A Gwinnett for the rest of the season and then elected to become a free agent in early October. It didn’t take long for Delay to line up his next team, as he’ll now become the third catcher in Boston’s organization with any MLB experience.
The first two of those backstops are Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong, who project as the starting and backup catcher in 2026. That said, Wong is coming off a rough 2025 season and he underwent hand surgery a couple of weeks ago, plus Narvaez also had a minor knee surgery. Both backstops are expected to be ready for Spring Training, yet Delay’s addition gives the Red Sox some guard against any rehab setbacks, or the possibility that the Sox could move on Wong entirely.
Delay received a good chunk of playing time with the Pirates in 2022-23 before Joey Bart, Yasmani Grandal, and Henry Davis pushed Delay down the depth chart in 2024. Over 373 career PA in the majors, Delay has hit .231/.295/.315 with two home runs.
Off to a great start!
Hope he reports to Fort Myers in time.
YBC – Talk about low hanging fruit! LOL!!
There has to be a future commercial with Delay and Early together, similar to the Sale/Price/Wright commercial which is probably my all-time favorite.
Remember when the Yanks had a bunch of d**ks in their rotation? Johnson, Moose and Wang?
Place your Betts
FPG: I remember when Price first signed with the Sox, I went out and bought a shirsey. I wore it when I went to visit my father, and he said “Hey, you forgot to remove the price from your shirt”.
Pedro – Well done, I love your father’s humor!
BTW – I was in the Red Sox team store over the weekend. I asked the worker there if they sell any authentic home white player jerseys. He said sure, all the white jerseys you see are authentic.
I had to nicely point out the Red Sox have never had names on the back of their home white jerseys …..
FPG
When I look at Toronto’s pitching,I find it hard to believe that there in the WS. Game 1 rookie starter had 3 regular season starts, game 2 is K.Gausman, there ace, but I think of him more like a solid #3 , 40 years old Scherzer, to go along with Bieber who is just returning from major injuries. There bullpen is good but doesn’t seem to have that lights out weapon. Compared to the Dodgers and there plethora of arms,it seems very one-sided. I do enjoy watching Yesavage pitch with his over the top pitching style. Very unique . I still believe it’s all about pitching ,but Toronto kind of an outlier to that theory.
cdc – I think you’re underestimating Gausman, who finished 3rd for Cy Young just two years ago and Top 9 each of the prior two years.
The Jays outscored the Yanks 34-19 and outscored the Mariners 37-30 so definitely it’s the Jays bats that have taken them this far.
FPG
Do you view him as an Ace? Maybe I’m not giving him enough credit.. I don’t put him in the same class as a Skubal,, Skenes, or crochet.
cdc – It depends on what you consider an ace.
Most people view an ace as simply the best starting pitcher on the team. Right now, Gausman is.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_(baseball)
In baseball, an ace is a starting pitcher considered the best pitcher on a team’s starting rotation.
Good post but there is a big difference between there and their 🙂
FPG
A bonafide ,# 1 , legitimate Ace.
I have never seen a play like the one that happened to Toronto in the 2nd inning. A very high pitch called a strike,which led to Bichette getting picked off 1st. Wow !! The ump was late with his strike call on a pitch that should have been ball 4 . Bichette and Varsho were very confused. ,but so was Glasnow & Smith. Probably cost the Jays a run + .
cdc – I’m so glad ABS is coming next year!
How weird is it that both of the longest games in WS history went 18 innings in Game 3 in Dodger Stadium with the Dodgers winning on a walkoff homerun against an AL East team.
FPG
Imagine if that had happened to the Sox…. It would be the only thing being talked about. I believe that ABS system will someday be for every pitch ,not just a challenge. I’m all for it as long as they can do it quickly and in the flow of the game. I was not a fan of the umpires strike zone last night.
Got to give a nod to Kershaw getting out of that jam. He had gotten pummeled earlier in the playoffs and didn’t want to see him go out like that. Again Ohtani on base 9 times , what a Beast.. 2 doubles,2 hmrs,5 walks .. Unbelievable..
cdc – They are talking about it in Canada. There’s a widely held belief MLB doesn’t support the Jays because MLB makes more money off big market American team success. Remember the quote from Springer after the blown foul ball call when the Jays were playing the Sox?
I don’t see ABS ever being used for every pitch. There would be probably at least 75 pitches a game that would need review. Only if the home plate umpire no longer calls balls and strikes would ABS be used for every pitch.
If neither team objects to a pitch call, why bother with ABS?
Mookie seems to be struggling, hard to believe they’d walk a guy 5 times to pitch to Mookie. In the past Mookie was the guy who got walked.
FPG
That is what I meant. Every pitch being called computer aided , electronically . It has to be smooth ,and will take several years in the minors to perfect.
Toronto also intentionally walked Freeman after walking Betts to pitch to Smith. Successfully . Ohtani, all the hitting accolades yesterday,oh and by the way,he is the starting pitcher tonight.. Incredible. He may already be the greatest baseball player , EVER !! I can’t wait to see what he does tonight..
cdc – Over a 5-year period, I’d say yes he’s the GOAT. The only time he’s got Cy votes was in 2022.
Can he continue to stay healthy enough to pitch as effectively as he has been? Time will tell.
But if you look at just his offense, I’d say he’s not. In the 5 years between 2018-2022 he’s averaged 25 homeruns with a .267 BA and .886 OPS.
He would need to have at least 7 more years comparable to 2023-2025 before he’s considered one of the greatest hitters of all time.
FPG
Very good observations. He seems to be getting better and better every year. Maybe I put to much emphasis on what he is accomplishing in the playoffs. And what he has done lately. He is getting it done when it matters most.
Who is the 3rd catcher?
Narvaez,Wong,?Oh yeah,Seby Zavala.
Best Pirates catcher of the decade. Sox got a good one
Catching is hard to get.If he shows he is better than Wong then good.Hard to find good hitting catchers.I mean how many catchers hit .250 or higher.Most are good defensive catchers but a guy who can hit and field,is hard to find.
Well they waited a long time to do this, what was the Delay?
Time Delay…
Another “hitter” with no power. They changing their name to the Boston Bores?
Great zinger.
Here we go again. This rush to build “organizational depth” but not with exciting 20yo players but more retreads in their ninth year of pro ball. I understand hes never gonna see the field at Fenway, but there has to be another catcher somewhere that can hit .200 but isn’t a complete dead-end, right?
These things go pretty much in order. The best, unsigned catcher, is usually the next guy signed. Theoretically, anyone better than Delay is already signed elsewhere.
yeah, they should have signed one of the exciting 20 year old players that are available as free agents!
The older minor league catchers have more experience and are likely more help with developing pitchers in AAA. Who are the exciting young catching prospects that are available? Who are the exciting young prospects at any position that are available?
Well, not being a scout out there scouring the Caribbean, mexican, korean leagues, independent ball a name doesnt pop into mind.
But, after you fire your scouting staff in favor of hiring more analysts, you lazily take the first guy who pops up.,
There is someone that is 10yrs younger with more raw athletic ability out there (ok, exciting was a stretch).
The Red Sox have been doing a great job of scouting. They have been having great drafts. From Fangraphs about the Red Sox 2025 draft:
“The best farm system in baseball just had one of the better Day Ones.”draft
blogs.fangraphs.com/2025-mlb-draft-day-one-recap/
Your complaints about scouting are unfounded. Your complaints about not signing exciting young talent are unfounded.
Your complaints about not signing exciting young talent are unfounded.
=========================
My suggestion to Breslow was to find an unsigned 20 year old catcher, with 25 HR, .300 average potential, with excellent defensive ability.
Maybe even 2-3 of them so that we could trade them for Skubal.
Ok, I rescind the adjective “exciting”. But I do not rescind the underlying thought. There is an unsigned free agent catcher in the world that isn’t 30 and can also hit .200
We’re not talking about the draft….which, if you lose enough games every year you get high draft picks. We’re talking about scouting in Independent Leagues, Mexico and Venezuela and Korea, etc.
According to MLB.com the Sox have only signed one top ten international prospect in the last 11 years.
The frustration is that Breslow is firing scouts for analysts and then pulls this gem out….it reeks of lazy no matter where this guy is assigned
You haven’t convinced me. The Red Sox had a very good 2025 international signing class. MLB.com rated the Red Sox as having a top 5 class.
mlb.com/news/mlb-best-2025-international-signing-c…
Looks like Breslow is doing just fine and knows what he is doing.
Ok, we agree to disagree, no harm no foul.
If he gets a clear #2 righty SP and a power rh bat, and doesn’t fall victim to Boras’ pressure and let’s Bregman walk, then I’ll be convinced.
Available clear no. 2 SPs and elite RH power hitters are in short supply and many teams are after that. The odds of getting both are not high in my opinion.
So, resign Bregman and get a #4 and call it a day?
The owners and analytics have made fans act as if money is an obstacle, and, frugality is a smart strategy. This allows them to keep more profits.
The Red Sox make plenty of money, and have plenty of prospects. What are we keeping the powder dry for?
I want to win championships, not compete for a wild card spot while being fiscally prudent.
You’re lucky then, because the Red Sox have won more championships than any other team this century..
Took long enough.
Thank god, I was wondering when Breslow was going to make that big splash
Comments like this I find comical considering people were making the same ones last year when the team traded for Narvaez.
King – agree. That and the people making those comments seem to forget that Worcester is the Red Sox AAA, and they need to field a roster. Over 50% of AAA rosters turns over EVERY offseason!
Worcester Red Sox
International League
Worcester, MA
Manager: Chad Tracy
Roster
Worcester Red Sox
International League
Worcester, MA
Manager: Chad Tracy
Roster Limit: 28
Rotation
LH Payton Tolle
LH Connelly Early
RH Hunter Dobbins
RH Luis Perales
RH Tyler Uberstine
LH Shane Drohan
PB Starters
RH Jack Anderson
RH Isaac Coffey
Bullpen
RH Zack Kelly
RH David Sandlin
LH Chris Murphy
RH Luis Guerrero
LH Hayden Mullins
RH Alex Hoppe
RH Noah Song
RH Hobie Harris
Lineup
C Ali Sanchez
1B Acquisition
2B Tyler McDonough
3B Mikey Romero
SS Nick Sogard
LF Kristian Campbell
CF Jhostynxon Garcia
RF Allan Castro
DH Nathan Hickey
This year is more settled, whereas last year was most of the more.
Well narvaez was actually pretty well rated in the Yankees system but just never got a shot. You have no idea what I said about him. Before I comment I do my research. Sure could this pan out? Sure could. It also could be another low level move that Breslow views as a great pickup. Now I do understand you can not operate like the dodgers, nor do I want my Sox too however other than Crochet everyone else has been a very low level move to attempt at being cheap In filling holes of very important spots. Before you flip out and say Bregman that was great and all but was very expensive for him to just opt out and ask for even more money. You can no compete every year with one starting pitcher that’s always reliable and a bunch of guys like Abraham toro. Eventually the great stories run out. I loved Lowe as a pickup but it took way too long to fill Casas spot. We barely made the playoffs and there was not enough of an effort made to get a real number 2. Game 1 was great but after that we’ve got nothing
I have no idea what that has to do with signing a AAA catcher.
Cool
I think it is silly to ridicule POBOs for making the kind of small moves that all teams make year-round. What, Quinnap89, is your point? Do you have one? Do you understand the concept of “having a point”? Of course Breslow is going to make bigger moves.
This only happens in the Red Sox Nation. This is why MLB-R posts every single RS signing. KC could sign a dozen guys and not get a single post.
We could sign a new parking attendant and get 30-40 posts critical of the move.
It’s like this for every team, every signing, every coaching hire, and team move that is posted on here for every team. This site is for news and the comments are a discussion board. These discussions, critical comments, and opinions happen on every single post on here. But OK.
First off I’m a Sox fan so I’ll ridicule if I’d like too, just as every other fan does on here for their team. You didn’t have to comment but you just couldn’t help yourself. It was a joke which you clearly missed the concept of. If I wanted to make a point I would have. Since you so sarcastically asked for my point here you go:
As someone who has been a college baseball coach for a long time I understand many aspects of the game from development to recruiting to players getting drafted. I do understand that Breslow will make bigger moves (well, hopefully). Other than Crochet he has been pretty underwhelming as a POBO. As a fan I feel (you are entitled to your own feelings too before you fly off the handle) he hasn’t done enough. The development and bringing up our youth has been great but that needs to be filled in with veterans who had been there in order to win. You also have zero chance of winning in the postseason past Crochet. The starting staff is ehhhh at best. Joe Ryan would have cost us but he was needed and he has club control, you wouldn’t have had to extend him right away. Relying on minor signings, we’re not just talking about Delay here. Toro too, waiting on Casas to be the player they want him to be, which I truly believe isn’t going to happen. It’s sad because I like the guy. Not I don’t want us to be the dodgers out here buying everyone but guys like toro are not your answer. Lowe was a great pickup but came way too late. You can not wait 4 months to replace a prime position. Minor signings have become way too reliant on the Breslow Era. The Sox need a GM who knows how to build a winner. I’m sure most Sox fans agree, the sense of urgency for club needs is very low
Again, nothing to do with signing minor league catching depth.
You began a baseball conversation by saying something idiotic, when people pointed that out, you went on numerous pointless diatribes.
Truth hurts,
I guess you need to be a good TR member to be considered worthy. Jesus the people on this site lol
When you write something dumb, take the L instead of continuing and making it clear you lack self-awareness.
No L’s here lol it’s an opinion based website where you are free to type whatever about a team. But yes it’s about wins and losses lol. Trolling posts to call people dumb. I can’t wait for your next comment on a post. I’ll be sure to channel my inner keyboard warrior of ghostofthomashamilton. I hope I never coach someone like you lol. Enjoy bud
I didn’t call you dumb, I said you wrote something dumb..
This is the lack of self awareness I was writing of.
For the love of God, man, have some dignity. Stop freaking out
This was probably done several days ago, why the Delay in announcing it?
There was probably a Delay in putting the ink on the contract.
Perhaps the Jason Delay signing is to make room for Jason Bay to come out of retirement
He will be the guy keeping the pitchers warm during rain Delays.
What’s the rush ?
Breslow was just checking de lay of da land.
What was the delay?!? Hahaha