Alex Rodriguez will work for both ESPN and Fox Sports in a rare talent-sharing arrangement that will bring the former New York Yankees slugger to the "Sunday Night Baseball" telecast, the Sporting News reported.
Rodriguez will be joined by Fox Sports' Matt Vasgersian on "Sunday Night Baseball" and will debut March 29 with analyst Jessica Mendoza and reporter Buster Olney for a game between the defending National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.
Rodriguez had shined as a baseball analyst for Fox Sports during the 2017 season and will continue as an analyst for Fox during the postseason, The Bleacher Report said.
"I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my broadcasting career," Rodriguez said in a statement released by ESPN. "It's an exciting time in baseball and now I get that front row seat to tell that story every Sunday night on ESPN as well as calling my fourth post season on Fox where I started this journey."
A-Rod's public profile also has been raised by his dating relationship with celebrity A-lister Jennifer Lopez.
Stephanie Druley, ESPN senior vice president for events and studio production, called Rodriguez "one of the most recognizable personalities in all of sports" and he has already made an impact with sports media through his past work.
"His dynamic personality and incredible baseball knowledge, combined with Matt Vasgersian's expertise, enthusiasm and poise, make for terrific additions to 'Sunday Night Baseball,' with existing commentators Jessica Mendoza and Buster Olney."
"We're excited about the potential for this team and we're appreciative to our MLB Network and Fox Sports counterparts, as all parties were more than willing to collaborate in order to serve Major League Baseball fans," Olney said.
Media sources close to Fox told the Sporting News that the unique deal became possible when Disney, the parent company of ESPN, agreed to purchase 21st Century Fox assets for $60 billion, including regional sports networks such as YES Network in New York.
But other sources close to ESPN told the publication that the proposed Disney-Fox deal didn’t play a role in the hiring of Rodriguez.
The hiring also marked an image rehabilitation for Rodriguez, whose All-Star career was tainted by a performance-enhancing drugs scandal, the Bleacher Report said. He played 22 seasons for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees, hitting .295 with 696 home runs and 2,086 RBIs.
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