Ken Rosenthal–MLB Network Situation Highlights Problem With League-Owned Media

It does fans a disservice

One of baseball’s top newsbreakers has parted ways with MLB Network, reportedly over his criticism of commissioner Rob Manfred.

Ken Rosenthal, a writer for The Athletic and game reporter for Fox Sports, did not have his contract with MLB Network renewed after more than a decade as an on-air contributor. The divorce stems from Rosenthal’s 2020 criticism of Manfred, the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reports.

In the summer of 2020, as MLB and the Players Association battled over how—or, stunningly, whether—to return to play, Rosenthal wrote several columns for The Athletic criticizing the league for failing to reach a timely and satisfactory agreement with the union.…