NESN working on deals to add 3 Red Sox game analysts to the rotation
A report Wednesday said that NESN has hired three analysts for its Red Sox broadcast booth. But according to the network — as well as the most surprising of the candidates — the deals have not crossed home plate yet.
Former Red Sox players Kevin Millar and Kevin Youkilis and 98.5 The Sports Hub host Tony Massarotti will be in the rotation of color commentators for the Red Sox this season, per a report by WEEI’s Alex Reimer.
Massarotti is the surprising name. A longtime Red Sox reporter and columnist, first at the Herald and then Boston.com, before joining The Sports Hub before it launched in August 2009, said during Wednesday’s “Felger and Mazz” program that there were still details to be worked out.
“We’re not all the way there yet,” he said. “I’m not speaking for them as much as I’m speaking for me.
“Have we had contact? Yes. Have I done an audition? Yes. Do I think it went well? Yes. Where does it go now? I don’t know.
“It’s complicated. I have a full-time job. I’m not looking to leave my full-time job. I think they know that and I think they’ve been open-minded about that. So we’re going to keep talking and see if we can figure out something that works for everybody.”
Massarotti said he auditioned with play-by-play man Dave O’Brien between a month and two months ago.
“I thought it went pretty well,” Massarotti said. “And we’re still talking. I’d love to tell you that this is a done deal, but I don’t know that yet. I think there’s still some things that have to be figured out.
“I’m flattered to even be considered for it. It’s not something that is normally done, to pull someone out of the media to put in — to potentially put in — the booth to do games.
“I’m flattered, I’m honored, and I give the Red Sox a lot of credit, because I’ve beaten the crap out of them for about 20 years, if not longer. Hopefully this can work out.”
It previously had been reported by the Globe that Youkilis was in line to work approximately 50 games this season.
A NESN spokesperson acknowledged that Millar, who worked briefly for NESN in 2010 before taking higher-profile jobs at Fox Sports and MLB Network, is in the mix, and said, “I can confirm we are in active discussions with booth talent, but our plans have not been finalized.”
O’Brien returns as the play-by-play voice, while Dennis Eckersley will be the analyst on the majority of the games. The death of the popular Jerry Remy in October left NESN with a huge void on its roster of analysts.
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