MLB’s TV Hot Stove Market Heating Up

The MLB hot stove market for TV game/studio analysts is heating up this offseason as new billion-dollar media-rights partners start recruiting talent.

New MLB partners NBC Sports and Netflix will be bidding for new and current talents against incumbents ESPN, TBS, MLB Network, and Apple.

A surging MLB will enter the new season with more business momentum than in recent years. Similar to last year’s NBA gold rush, when new rights partners NBC and Amazon Prime Video grabbed dozens of talents, most hires will probably be newly retired MLB stars who provide a fresh-off-the-field perspective. 

But there will also be other TV free agents seeking greener pastures. And those with expiring contracts who see this offseason as the best window in decades to seek opportunities.  

“Suddenly, it’s a great time to be a baseball talent,” one TV executive tells Front Office Sports. “Those NBA guys made out like bandits last season.”

Here are 12 names to keep an eye on as MLB’s rights partners fill their TV benches before Opening Day on March 25, 2026:

Clayton Kershaw: The newly retired Dodgers superstar looks like the overall No. 1 pick on the TV board. Coming off his third World Series championship, the three-time Cy Young Award winner raised eyebrows by declining a job in the front office to spend more time with his family. (He and his wife are expecting their fifth child). Kershaw could give viewers insight into the current Dodgers dynasty as well as Shohei Ohtani—the modern-day Babe Ruth. But several sources believe he wants to step away from the game, much like Derek Jeter did after his retirement. “He’d be great. He’s done a lot of work being mic’d up and had fun on Dodgers and national telecasts,” said one TV executive. “The question now is: Does he want to go right back into it?”

Anthony Rizzo: His outgoing personality makes him perfect for TV. The 36-year-old’s experience with the Yankees and Cubs makes him a fan favorite with TV viewers in New York and Chicago, the country’s first- and third-largest TV markets. The 2016 World Series champion with the Cubs can dissect the pressure of playing on the biggest stage. The veteran first baseman dipped his toe into the water as a pregame studio analyst with TBS this season. “Rizz played the New York media better than anybody—and that’s not easy,” says a source. “He always had a smile on his face.” But another TV executive wasn’t so optimistic. “Rizzo wants in. But he’d need to put in the work—and open up more.”

Todd Frazier: This Jersey guy, nicknamed “The Toddfather,” comes off like a regular Joe talking baseball over a beer. The 39-year-old pride of Rutgers University made his bones calling a wild-card playoff game for ESPN this fall. Frazier, a Home Run Derby winner, returned to his roots to call the Little League World Series for the four letters. The former Reds, Yankees, and Mets slugger also pinch-hit for YES Network’s studio coverage of the Yankees.

Foul Territory: The digital MLB show is hosted by Scott Braun with rotating former players, including Todd Frazier, A.J. Pierzynski, Erik Kratz, Cameron Maybin, Trevor May, Jason Kipnis, and Jonathan Papelbon, along with insider Ken Rosenthal, former GM Jim Bowden, and former manager Buck Showalter. The show has lively discussions, and it also gets big-name interviews and makes news out of them. In a world where Netflix is adding sports podcasts and NBC has relaunched NBC Sports Network with some talk content during weekdays, this program is worth considering. 

Ozzie Guillén: If there’s a baseball version of Charles Barkley, it’s Guillén. The former White Sox shortstop who won a World Series as manager of the team in 2005 is a great studio analyst for White Sox games on CHSN, mixing a combination of humor and sharp analysis. 

Evan Longoria: The former Rookie of the Year played in two World Series with the Rays. The telegenic 40-year-old “Longo” also drew endorsement deals with Gillette and New Era hats. Yes, his bare-handed catch that went viral for Gillette was staged. No, he’s not related to Eva Longoria.

Nick Swisher: Swisher, who was previously an analyst for Fox Sports, is a gregarious storyteller with the added benefit of having been an All-Star and World Series champion with the Yankees. 

David Ross: Ross won World Series championships with the Cubs and White Sox in a catching career that spanned from 2002 to 2016. He later became the Cubs manager. He has an endearing personality and a wealth of baseball knowledge. 

Joe Maddon: If Maddon doesn’t return to the bench as a manager, the 2016 Cubs World Series champion skipper could be an excellent analyst on games or in the studio. He already hosts a podcast, The Book of Joe, alongside veteran MLB reporter Tom Verducci. 

Doug Glanville: His analytical style positions him for bigger things at ESPN—or elsewhere. The 55-year-old joined ESPN in 2010 for a seven-year run before returning in 2019. He’s a published author and part-time professor. How many baseball analysts can boast they graduated from Penn with an engineering degree?

David Samson: Networks have been hiring front office insiders to help break down the business minutiae of their leagues—for instance, NBC recently hired former Hawks exec Grant Liffmann. The former Marlins president who hosts Nothing Personal on Meadowlark Media would be primed for a studio role. 

Hunter Pence: The two-time World Series champion with the Giants joined ESPN’s studio coverage during the wild-card playoffs this year. The 42-year-old boasts the type of quirky personality TV producers love.