Anthony Rizzo is on NBC’s radar as the network builds its Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team.
The network has interest in the recently retired Cubs legend for its baseball coverage, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. Rizzo joins Joey Votto as a potential analyst candidate, while Clayton Kershaw is being targeted for studio work on select events rather than a full-time booth role.
Rizzo retired in September after 14 seasons and returned to the Cubs as a team ambassador. The three-time All-Star spent 10 years in Chicago before finishing his career with four seasons in New York, helping the Cubs win the 2016 World Series and establishing himself as one of the most recognizable faces in baseball.
NBC returns to baseball for the first time in 26 years with a package that includes 25 Sunday Night Baseball games, the entire Wild Card round, and exclusive Opening Day and Labor Day primetime windows. The network’s first broadcast is on March 26, when the Dodgers raise their World Series banner against the Diamondbacks.
Fox’s Jason Benetti remains the frontrunner for NBC’s lead play-by-play role, with Orioles television voice Kevin Brown also in the mix, per Marchand.
Front Office Sports reported in November that Rizzo could be in line for more broadcasting work after a guest stint at TBS during the postseason. The 35-year-old hasn’t publicly indicated his post-retirement plans beyond his Cubs ambassador role, but NBC’s interest suggests networks see value in recent retirees who understand the modern game.
ESPN has also expressed interest in Votto for a handful of games, according to Marchand, as it transitions from Sunday nights to weekday coverage.
NBC has not announced its broadcast team and has nearly three months before its season opener.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.