Over the course of the 2019 MLB season, multiple teams expressed a level of concern with certain media members holding an official position with other organizations.
To avoid a potential conflict of interest, the Los Angeles Dodgers implemented a new team policy that limited clubhouse access to advisors from other MLB organizations.
Most affected were ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcasters Jessica Mendoza and David Ross, who respectively held roles with the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs front office.
Mendoza, in particular, was not pleased with the rule and spoke out on how the Dodgers denied her clubhouse access prior to Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park.
It prompted a response from Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who defended the club’s decision to limit access to her and other team advisors.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently touched base on the topic and revealed he was not necessarily comfortable with the arrangement, via Ronald Blum of The Associated Press:
“I’m not all that comfortable with it. I’m really not,” he said of their dual roles. “It’s a topic that remains under discussion internally. It caused a lot of complications, not just on this particular incident or comments, but in general.”
With MLB currently under a state of paranoid due to the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, it doesn’t come as a surprise that teams are firmly against broadcasters being allowed to work for other clubs.
Mendoza was recently let go by the Mets and removed from the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team. The decisions were perhaps related to her being critical of Mike Fiers detailing the Astros’ cheating scheme.
However, Mendoza recently signed an extension with the network and will now call select weekday games this season. As for Ross, he is heading into his first year as Cubs manager.
It’s worth noting that former Dodgers pitcher Pedro Martinez still holds duel roles, serving as a TBS analyst and special assistant to the Boston Red Sox.
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