Whatever conflict of interest existed as a result of Jessica Mendoza working for both ESPN and the New York Mets no longer will be an issue.
Mendoza will not continue to serve as a special advisor for the Mets after she signed multiyear contract extension with ESPN, it was announced Friday.
Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen issued a statement thanking Mendoza for her work with the organization, while ESPN issued a press release detailing Mendoza’s new, expanded role with the network.
We are happy for Jessica Mendoza who will be expanding her role at ESPN. To focus more on those new responsibilities she will no longer be a Special Advisor to the @Mets. pic.twitter.com/FUyHiPVOMm
— Brodie Van Wagenen (@RocBVW) February 7, 2020
ESPN signs MLB analyst Jessica Mendoza to a multi-year extension with a new role and new trailblazing assignments: https://t.co/z6K8gBWQyV
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 7, 2020
Mendoza, 39, no longer will work ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcasts. However, she will work weekday Major League Baseball games and regularly appear on other ESPN programming — including shows like “SportsCenter,” “Baseball Tonight,” “First Take” and “Get Up” — while also continuing to serve as lead analyst for the network’s coverage of the Women’s College World Series.
Mendoza’s new role will make her the first woman to serve as a solo analyst for a national package of MLB game telecasts. She will become the first woman to serve as a World Series game analyst on national radio when she joins the ESPN Radio broadcast team in 2020.
“I’ve always prioritized my growth and these new opportunities will allow me to expand my broadcasting career while challenging me at the same time,” Mendoza said, according to ESPN’s press release. “From calling MLB games on television and radio, to extensive studio work and features, I’m excited about everything that lies ahead. Some of the best memories of my career have been with ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ and I will miss my time with our amazing crew, who have been like family. I’m grateful to ESPN for continuing to commit to me and I can’t wait for the season to get started.”
Mendoza, a former standout softball player who won a gold medal and a silver medal at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, respectively, has been with ESPN since 2007 and had served as an analyst on “Sunday Night Baseball” since August 2015. She spent less than a year with the Mets, having accepted a job with the organization back in March 2019.
