Andrew Marchand reports in The New York Post that ESPN is planning to hold steady with its Sunday Night Baseball crew for next season. Matt Vasgersian and Alex Rodriguez were never going anywhere, as they are both still under contract.
The real question, according to Marchand was would Jessica Mendoza return? Marchand writes “Her contract is up at the end of the calendar year, fueling industry speculation that she could be pushed off the SNB gig to make it even more the A-Rod show.”
It appears that will not be the case. Both Mendoza and reporter Buster Olney are expected to return to Sunday Night Baseball in 2019. An ESPN spokesman told Marchand “We’re planning for Matt, Jessica, Alex and Buster to return for a second season together.”
Another issue at hand was the dip in viewership for Sunday Night Baseball during the broadcast team’s first season together. Ratings fell by 3%. It lead to some speculation in the media that Rodriguez may use the opportunity to try and convince his ESPN bosses to move on from Mendoza. Whether or not it is true, Marchand did note that ARod has not always been happy with the Walt Disney Company’s relationship with Mendoza.
Though there was no firm proof that Rodriguez was attempting a coup to rid the booth of Mendoza, it seemed less than coincidental that on Tuesday, A-Rod put a picture on Instagram of him and Mendoza, saying she has been his “anchor” all season.
Perhaps that is true, but Rodriguez, as his nature, has displayed a bit of jealousy of Mendoza. While “Good Morning America” seldom used him and he is no longer with the program, Mendoza has hosted GMA on the weekends, which did not go unnoticed by A-Rod, according to sources.
The terms of a new contract with Jessica Mendoza still need to be finalized, but ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro has given the full Sunday Night Baseball crew his seal of approval.