David Cone out at ESPN amid reshaped MLB rights package

As ESPN enters a new era of its MLB coverage, it will do so without David Cone.

According to Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy, ESPN has confirmed that the 5-time All-Star pitcher is leaving the network amid its reshaped MLB rights package.

“We appreciate David’s many contributions to our Major League Baseball coverage and wish him the best,” a spokesperson told FOS.

As McCarthy noted, Cone’s departure was hardly unexpected. Last year, ESPN opted out of the remainder of its MLB media rights deal, effectively trading in its weekly Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, which now belongs to NBC.

While the Worldwide Leader in Sports will still carry a limited number of weekday games, it would be tough for Cone to be a part of such broadcasts given his role with the YES Network, where he serves as an analyst for Yankees games. McCarthy reports that the ex-Yankees and Mets pitcher’s contract wasn’t extended by ESPN, as the network wants to take a “fresh look” at its on-air baseball talent heading into its new deal.

As for Cone, the 63-year-old could find himself a coveted free agent as the 2026 MLB season approaches. The most obvious potential suitor for his services is NBC, given that the network will assume the rights to the very national broadcast that the 1994 American League Cy Young Award winner has served as an analyst for since 2022, as well as the entirety of the Wild Card round. NBC has also already been linked to former Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw, who retired following the 2025 season.

If Cone doesn’t wind up at NBC, then Netflix — which will carry MLB’s standalone Opening Day game, the Home Run Derby and a select number of special events — could also make sense. All things considered, Cone’s split from ESPN is one that made sense for both the talent and network involved.