The Atlanta Braves have several roster areas to address this offseason, but catcher isn’t one of them.
Rookie Drake Baldwin impressed in his debut season, and with former All-Star Sean Murphy under contract through 2028, the position appears well secured. Unless one of them is moved in a trade, it’s unlikely anyone else in the organization will see much time behind the plate.
That reality led to the departure of a veteran backstop at season’s end.
Catcher Jason Delay, a longtime Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguer who reached the majors in 2022 and appeared in 134 big-league games over three seasons, joined the Braves after being designated for assignment in April. Atlanta, however, never seemed inclined to promote him to the majors.
Delay spent nearly the entire season with Triple-A Gwinnett and was removed from the 40-man roster in July. Despite slim chances of returning to MLB, he finished out the year before electing free agency on Thursday, according to his official roster listing.
A four-year starter at Vanderbilt and a member of the 2014 College World Series championship team, Delay hit .200/.261/.257 with one homer and 15 RBIs in 68 minor league games this season. He also allowed 94 stolen bases while throwing out 20 runners.
While it’s unclear whether another big-league opportunity awaits, Delay’s best path forward may be signing another minor league deal and joining an organization with less depth at catcher.
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