David Cone to call around 60 Yankees games for YES Network after ESPN exit

David Cone will call a fair number of Yankees games for the YES Network in 2026 after ESPN decided not to extend his contract.

The 63-year-old will call around 60 Yankees games in 2026, according to Newsday’s Anthony Rieber. That’s a significant jump from the fewer than 40 games Cone handled last year while still working for ESPN, though it’s still below the 90-plus he was doing before joining the national broadcast in 2022.

ESPN confirmed to Front Office Sports earlier this week that Cone’s contract wasn’t extended as the network reshapes its MLB coverage following the loss of Sunday Night Baseball to NBC. An ESPN spokesperson said the network “appreciate[s] David’s many contributions to our Major League Baseball coverage and wish him the best.”

The departure was hardly unexpected, given that ESPN opted out of the remainder of its MLB media rights deal last year, sending Sunday Night Baseball to NBC while retaining a limited number of weekday games. Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy reported that ESPN wanted to take a “fresh look” at its on-air baseball talent heading into the new deal.

Cone told Newsday the weekday package wouldn’t have meshed with his YES schedule anyway.

“It only worked for me if it was Sunday night because that meshed with the Yankee schedule,” Cone said.

The expanded YES role helps fill the void left by John Flaherty, who wasn’t offered a new contract after 20 years at the network. YES announced in October that Flaherty, along with part-time analysts Jeff Nelson and Dave Valle, wouldn’t return for 2026. The network is moving forward with a condensed rotation of David Cone, Paul O’Neill, and Joe Girardi alongside Michael Kay on play-by-play.

As for Cone’s next move, the former Yankees ace could find himself a coveted free agent as the 2026 MLB season approaches. NBC is the obvious potential suitor given that the network assumed Sunday Night Baseball rights, though Cone told Newsday he’s not currently in talks with NBC. The network has also been linked to recently retired Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw as a potential analyst.

Netflix, which will carry MLB’s standalone Opening Day game and the Home Run Derby, could also make sense if Cone wants to maintain a national presence.

For now, Cone told Newsday he’s focused on YES.

“I’m really looking forward to sort of just narrowing down my schedule and doing YES games,” Cone said. “Obviously, you always have open ears.”