Catcher Ali Sánchez has inked a Major League contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their capturing depth becomes stuck as a result. Although there are four catchers on the Pirates’ 40-man roster, catching is still the most physically taxing position on the diamond, so it’s always good to have a plan C or D at the position.
Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez are two young stars who were among baseball’s top prospects going into the 2023 season. Although there have been rumours of a Davis or Rodriguez trade for pitching, I believe Jason Delay ought to be the target.
Jason Delay is exactly what you would anticipate from a backup catcher. With a.296 wOBA, 83 wRC+, and a batting average of just.251/.319/.347, he didn’t contribute much offensively. Though his strikeout percentage of 25.5% and walk rate of 7.5% were below average, they were significant improvements over his strikeout percentage of 5.4% and 29.9% in the majors in 2022.
With +2 defensive runs saved and +8.4 framing runs in 484 innings caught, he is a solid defender behind the plate. Not only that, but in 2022 he was much better, having only an 11% caught-stealing rate. He also didn’t allow a passed ball.
Moreover, I believe you should excuse him from all of the new regulations that go into effect in 2023. With the pitch clock and new pickoff regulations, it may take a season or two for some catchers to adjust to wider bases. Pitchers are likely under more pressure than ever to avoid stolen bases or give their catcher a realistic chance to bring down potential base stealers.
So, who currently needs a backup backstop or some reliable catching depth? The veteran backstop Martin Maldonado, who is almost ten years older than Delay and had a far worse season with the glove behind the dish, is reportedly of interest to five different teams: the Houston Astros, LA Angels, Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, and Miami Marlins. This information was recently provided by MLB Trade Rumours. I believe the Astros would be the best trade partner out of those five teams, and I’ll explain why.
