Delay Building MLB Future A Season at a Time

Regardless of the competition he’s facing in training camp this spring, it’s hard not to root for Jason Delay.

There’s a bunch of catchers in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ big-league camp. With less than two weeks to go before the regular season begins March 28 in Miami, Pirates skipper Derek Shelton and his staff have many decisions to make.

Who is going to be released, traded, reassigned to the organization’s minor league camp, or brought north for the MLB ‘s regular season must be decided. For some, those with seasons of experience or those whom the organization has invested considerably with hefty signing bonuses, a ticket to Triple-A Indianapolis is where their immediate baseball future lies.

Delay wants to avoid being sent packing for the International League. For the past three seasons, He has been dispatched to the Triple-A Indians for 49 games. Now, in his eighth season in the Pirates’ organization, Delay is hoping to have his first full MLB regular season, from Opening Day until Game No. 162, when the Pirates are in the Bronx playing the New York Yankees.

With 10 games left on the Grapefruit League schedule, Delay, who as a freshman was a member of Vanderbilt University’s 2014 College World Series National Championship team, needs to perform at the top of his game, and have things outside of his control happen.

An uphill battle, at best, but if there is one constant in his professional baseball career, there is no quit in Delay.

What could be said about the Pirates’ catching situation doesn’t seem to jump out in favor of Delay landing on the Opening Day roster. There are several working parts of who is in the mix to remain with the big-league club.

A day before camp opened officially in Bradenton, Feb. 14th, when pitchers and catchers reported, the club announced the free agent signing of two-time all-star backstop Yasmani Grandal. With more than 1,200 MLB games played, a dozen seasons of experience, and 185 home runs belted, the Pirates didn’t bring Grandal aboard to ride the bench.

Catching maybe 100-120 games, this is an accurate projection of the veteran’s physical limitations. So, with the rest of the scheduled games up for grabs, where, if at all, would Delay be slotted in?

There’s Henry Davis, the first overall selection of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, who is currently enjoying a highly productive spring campaign. In his first eight games, Davis has swatted seven hits, with four of those being home runs. Drafted as a catcher, Davis played many games in 2023 as an outfielder.

There is Ali Sanchez also in the mix to presumably serve as the backup to Grandal. Do the Pirates take three catchers, at least for the beginning of the season, north for the start of their National League Central season?
There’s also Carter Bins to consider. Obtained from the Seattle Mariners’ organization in 2021, Bins in 2022 was rated as the “Best Defensive Catcher” in the Pirates minor league system according to Baseball America.

The only thing for certain, where Delay is concerned, is uncertainty. With seven games appearing this spring, Delay has 15 at-bats and three hits. There is still time to turn on his offensive production. Few have ever doubted Delay’s capabilities behind the plate.

Before the final exhibition game on March 25 at LECOM Park between the Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays, and Pittsburgh’s roster is set, Delay should still be in the discussion for a catcher’s spot.

What makes Delay's history any different from any other player looking and hoping to be among the chosen few in the Pirates’ dugout at LoanDepot Park in Downtown Miami? Think Rocky Balboa toughness, as in never quitting even when the signs were there to do so.

This isn’t an exaggeration about Delay’s fortitude. Just a few seasons back, Delay was signaling to the organization that he was done. He read the clear writing on the proverbial warning track wall – loud and clear.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a chain of events began that not only brought Delay to make his MLB debut for the Pirates in 2022 but remain on the club’s active roster for most of last season, and logging playing time in 70 games.

After working his way up from rookie ball in 2017, five seasons later, and after four years with the Vanderbilt program where future MLB players Dansby Swanson, Walker Buehler, and current Pirates’ teammate Bryan Reynolds were part of the College World Series Championship, Delay was deep in a baseball rut.

Two games played at Double-A Altoona, then 28 catching for Indianapolis, and the news delivered to Delay was anything but encouraging. In fact, Delay, who by season’s end would earn his MBA in Economics from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, was packing in his days in pro ball. He created an exit plan on when and how.

“I was told that the organization was going in another direction by my manager,” Delay remembers. “I wasn’t playing every day. I wasn’t making good money, and I had graduation from Johns Hopkins to look forward to. I could see nothing was going to change for me with baseball.”

During the 2022 International League schedule, June 14-19, Indianapolis was scheduled to be on the road playing the Gwinnett Stripers. With the Stripers being the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, and Delay coming from Atlanta, the plan was to play one more time before friends and family before packing in his mitt and spikes for good.

This would be Delay’s good-bye, swan song from sports to business. His bags were packed. There would be no going on to the next city.

Then something incredible happened. The Baseball Gods smiled on Delay and his career. While in Gwinnett, retirement was put on temporary hold as he was brought up to the Pirates for their Taxi-Squad. Pittsburgh was in Atlanta. This was supposed to be temporary for the series.

“They (Pittsburgh) brought me up as a bullpen catcher with no promises. Then one of our pitchers (Duane Underwood Jr.) came down with COVID. So, I flew with the team to St. Louis. The club was down a man, and I was activated on the roster.”

With the Pirates in St. Louis for a doubleheader on June 14, Delay was the starting catcher for game one.

“I was optioned three days later. Even those I was optioned back to Indianapolis (Delay was recalled shortly after to the Taxi Squad again in June), by July, I was back playing for the Pirates in Cincinnati.”

A business career remains Delay’s backup plan. However, the circumstances that found Delay’s baseball career in 2022 aided greatly in him establishing a spot with the Pirates in camp as a non-roster invitee in 2023.

“I learned a lot of what it takes to be an MLB player in 2022 and last season,” says Delay. “Every spring I have expected to battle for a roster spot. I’ve learned to be consistent and try not to worry about things that are out of my control. As a situational hitter, I know what is expected of me.”

As one of 17 members of Vanderbilt’s 2014 College World Series National Championship team to be drafted by an MLB organization, for Delay, fighting for a position is all he knows.