BaseballM's announce 2025 broadcast teams
PEORIA, Ariz. -- With the players and coaches preparing for Friday's opening Cactus League game, the Mariners front office on Thursday officially announced the crews that will handle the television and radio broadcasts for the 2025 season.
"As the calendar turns to baseball season, we are excited to share the personalities and voices that are the soundtrack to summer for fans throughout the Northwest," said Greg Greene, the Mariners' senior vice president of marketing. "We're incredibly lucky to have the breadth of talent on our broadcast team to share not only the action on the field, but the stories that make Mariners baseball so special."
While there has been some change to the group with Dave Sims accepting a job in New York as the radio play-by-play announcer and longtime color analyst Mike Blowers retiring, both broadcasts feature familiar names and faces to Mariners fans.
Entering his 40th year with the organization, Rick Rizzs will remain the "Voice of the Mariners" as the lead call of games on the Mariners radio network.
Rizzs is the longest-tenured broadcaster in franchise history, originally joining the Mariners broadcast team in 1983 and working until 1991. He spent three years with the Tigers (1992-94) and returned in 1995 to resume his current role.
While Rizzs will handle the bulk of the play-by-play duties, Gary Hill, who has served as the executive producer/engineer and part-time play-by-play announcer, will see his role increased with more time on the air. Hill, a proud graduate of Washington State, will still continue his work on a variety of platforms, including an array of podcasts and radio shows.
As for the TV broadcasts that will air on ROOT Sports, Aaron Goldsmith, who bounced back and forth between TV and radio since being hired by the Mariners in 2013, will take over as the lead TV play-by-play announcer.
The TV broadcast will feature a rotating group of four analysts to work alongside Goldsmith, including former Mariners players Ryan Rowland-Smith, Dave Valle and Jay Buhner.
"I'm really excited to work with such a fun and talented group of analysts," Goldsmith said via text message. "Beyond their knowledge of the game and history with the team, they're all dynamite people, and good friends of mine.
Yes, Buhner is back on the broadcasts. He is currently scheduled for 19 games, with most of them in Texas where he now resides.
Joining the trio of former players is a popular fixture on ROOT Sports for almost three decades. Angie Mentink, who has served in a variety of capacities and multiple sports, will be the Mariners' first full-time woman broadcast analyst.
Buhner's absence from the broadcasts and organizational events, which dates back to 2012, was notable for fans, who missed his unique style of analysis and his presence at spring training.
He arrived in Peoria earlier this week and has been in uniform, well, everything but a hat, helping as a coach for the past few days.
"I'm a little nervous about it, getting back in the booth, trying to re-familiarize myself," Buhner said. "But it'll be fun. It's like riding a bike. Baseball's been my whole life, from Little League all the way up. It's still a passion and I still bleed Mariner blue."
Buhner was ecstatic about Rowland-Smith and Mentink joining the broadcast team.
"They're rockstars," Buhner said. "Ryan does a really great job, and I have a special relationship with Angie. If anybody knows the game, it's her. She's legit. She's damn good at this."
Valle has worked on TV for a variety of outlets since his playing days ended in 1993, including MLB Network and ROOT Sports.
Rowland-Smith has seen his media presence grow over the past few years. He's worked as an analyst for ROOT Sports on their pre- and postgame shows while also serving as an analyst for the radio and TV broadcasts the past few seasons. He was recently hired by MLB Network and also has a popular podcast, "The Top Step," which is aired on ROOT Sports.
Both Mentink and Rowland-Smith will work as analysts for the radio and TV broadcast.
TelevisionESPN, MLB will end deal after season
ESPN's coverage of Major League Baseball games -- at least in its current form -- will conclude at the end of the 2025 season.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro informed baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday morning that the network was opting out of the final three years of its contract, two people told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because because they weren't authorized to discuss financial matters.
ESPN and MLB both made statements Thursday night confirming the end of the current rights deal.
There was a March 1 deadline for MLB and ESPN to opt out of the final three years of their contract. The sides agreed to a seven-year deal in 2021 that averaged $550 million per season.
"We have had a long and mutually beneficial partnership with ESPN that dates back to its first MLB game in 1990," MLB said in a statement. "Unfortunately in recent years, we have seen ESPN scale back their baseball coverage and investment in a way that is not consistent with the sport's appeal or performance on their platform. Given that MLB provides strong viewership, valuable demographics, and the exclusive right to cover unique events like the Home Run Derby, ESPN's demand to reduce rights fees is simply unacceptable."
The ESPN-Major League Baseball split was first reported by The Athletic.
Manfred wrote in a memo to owners obtained by The Associated Press that MLB and ESPN "mutually agreed to terminate our agreement."
ESPN has carried MLB games since 1990, but the network cut back its coverage in the current contract to 30 regular-season games -- mostly on Sunday night -- and the Wild Card postseason series. ESPN also had the Home Run Derby and 10 spring training games.