Report: Yankees' Michael Kay to Join Alex Rodriguez on ESPN MLB Broadcast

After the success of the "Manning Cast" for Monday Night Football, ESPN is reportedly implementing a similar simulcast for the upcoming season of Sunday Night Baseball that will feature Alex Rodriguez paired with longtime New York Yankees lead commentator Michael Kay.

Darren Rovell of The Action Network was the first to report the news of Kay joining the broadcast. Rodriguez will no longer appear on Sunday Night Baseball as a result of this new pairing, which has been dubbed "Kay-Rod."

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported that the new Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team will feature David Cone and Eduardo Perez as analysts and Karl Ravech as the play-by-play man. Cone, who also works with Kay at YES Network, is expected to have a reduced schedule for YES this season. Kay will continue his full duties with the network as voice of the Yankees.

Marchand noted that the role of reporter Buster Olney on the main Sunday Night Baseball telecast is "in question." He mentioned ESPN's Marly Rivera as a candidate to replace him but also added that ESPN may use a "committee approach."

Rodriguez, who worked as an analyst for Sunday Night Baseball for four years, reportedly preferred Kay over Ravech as his partner for the new simulcast. Also, he did not want to work the weekly broadcast with his new ownership role with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It can be expected that the "Kay-Rod" broadcast will have similarities to Peyton and Eli's "Manning Cast," such as special guest interviews. The simulcast will reportedly be for 10-12 games out of Sunday Night Baseball's approximate 25-week schedule.