Red Sox just highlighted the Pirates’ biggest recent embarrassment

A name familiar to Pittsburgh Pirates fans resurfaced over the weekend when the Boston Red Sox signed catcher Jason Delay to a minor league contract. The deal presumably contains an invitation for Delay to attend Boston’s major league spring training.

Delay, a fourth-round pick for the Pirates in the 2017 MLB Draft, had spent his entire pro career in Pittsburgh’s organization before he was traded to the Braves back in April. From a Pirates fan perspective, Delay signing with the Red Sox feels both ironic and quietly frustrating – a subtle reminder of how poorly the Pirates’ once-promising catching depth chart has unraveled in just two years.

Delay was never a flashy player – more of a dependable, defense-first backup who earned respect for his game-calling, leadership and relationship with pitchers. When he logged meaningful innings in 2022–23, fans saw him as the stabilizer behind the plate while Henry Davis was still learning and Endy Rodríguez (before his injury) represented the “catcher of the future.”

Now, seeing Delay resurface in Boston – even on a minor league deal – underscores the Pirates’ tendency to discard reliable depth before they truly have replacements ready.

Jason Delay signing with Red Sox is a reminder that Pirates' supposed catching glut disappeared overnight

When Ben Cherington’s front office was boasting about catcher depth not long ago, the list included Davis, Joey Bart, Yasmani Grandal, Delay and Rodríguez. Fast forward to 2025, and Grandal is gone; Bart has cratered offensively after his brief resurgence; Davis is struggling to justify an everyday lineup spot with his inability to hit; and Rodríguez remains a question mark after missing significant time with multiple injuries.

The Pirates have also added catching prospect Rafael Flores, who remains intriguing, but very raw. Regardless, despite the quantity of catchers on their roster, they are severely lacking in quality. They have no established, reliable catcher for 2026 – exactly what Delay was supposed to represent. The irony isn’t lost on fans who’ve watched the team’s so-called “depth” vanish while the front office continues to insist it’s fine.

The collapse of Pittsburgh's catching depth is a symbol of a bigger organizational blind spot – namely, that the Pirates under Cherington have overestimated their internal player development and underinvested in steady veterans. Delay wasn’t a future All-Star, but he was a known commodity who could competently handle a staff and bridge a gap. Instead, the Pirates cycled through names with higher ceilings but lower floors – and now find themselves without a safety net.

Pirates fans don’t necessarily miss Delay as much as they resent what his departure represents: another avoidable hole in a lineup that already struggles with continuity and identity. It’s one thing to lose a depth catcher when you’re overflowing with options; it’s another when, two years later, you’re wishing you had him back just to stop the bleeding.

The Red Sox didn’t make headlines by signing Delay, but the Pirates’ inability to replace someone like him has quietly become another indictment of a front office that’s long on talk of “depth” and short on results.