The final domino in the MLB broadcaster shuffle of the 2020-21 offseason has fallen. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Orange County, California named veteran broadcaster Matt Vasgersian as their play by play voice for the 2021 season.
OFFICIAL: Matt Vasgersian will join Mark Gubicza on @FoxSportsWest as the Angels Play-By-Play Announcer. Welcome to the broadcast team, Matt! pic.twitter.com/QjqasamBEd
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 11, 2021
Vasgersian replaces the popular Victor Rojas, who left the franchise in January to become the new president and general manager of the Frisco RoughRiders, the AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic notes that Vasgersian will retain his duties with both MLB Network and ESPN.
Additionally, Daron Sutton, son of the late Hall of Famer Don Sutton, has been hired by the organization as a play by play broadcaster. Sutton previously worked as a radio broadcaster for the Angels and called games on TV for the Brewers and Diamondbacks.
Daron Sutton will also be featured as one of the Angels’ lead play-by-play announcers with Matt Vasgersian still contributing to ESPN and MLB Network.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 11, 2021
Infamously, he was suspended (and later dismissed) by Arizona in 2012 for insubordination, reportedly due to his desire to wear a suit instead of a team-branded polo shirt when calling games.
Vasgersian (and Sutton when he calls games) will work alongside incumbent analyst Mark Gubicza in the Angels booth, and they won’t be alone – long-time Angels broadcaster Jose Mota has been promoted to a full-time analyst role. We’ve got a three man booth in Anaheim, folks.
Vasgersian just confirmed it will be a three-man booth with him, Mark Gubicza and José Mota. https://t.co/RCfTp8qa7h
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 12, 2021
Interestingly enough, according to Ardaya, Sutton might end up getting most of the reps in the booth for the Angels, with Vasgersian saying he may work remotely for much of the season due to his work with the two national outlets.
Matt Vasgersian made it sound like he will be remote for much of the season as he juggles MLB Network/ESPN responsibilities. Also said the schedule will be worked out month to month, could be a chance that Daron Sutton calls the majority of games.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 12, 2021
Weirdly, I think Vasgersian, while being the most nationally famous of the Angels broadcasters, may have the least overall impact this year, if what he said about remote work is true. That could lead to more games in the booth for the trio of Sutton, Gubicza, and Mota, while Vasgersian is bogged down with his national commitments.
