ESPN confirmed this afternoon a Sporting News exclusive that it is hiring Alex Rodriguez and Matt Vasgersian of Fox Sports for "Sunday Night Baseball."

The duo will join returning analyst Jessica Mendoza and reporter Buster Olney and make their broadcast team debut March 29 for the Dodgers-Giants game.

The unique talent-sharing arrangement will see Rodriguez in the booth for ESPN's exclusive Sunday Night MLB game of the week during the regular season and in the studio for Fox as an analyst during the postseason and World Series.

“I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my broadcasting career," said Rodriguez in a statement issued by ESPN. "It’s an exciting time in baseball and now I get that front row seat to tell that story every Sunday night on ESPN as well as calling my fourth postseason on Fox, where I started this journey.”

Despite sharing World Series champion with ESPN, Fox Sports is extending A-Rod's contract, according to John Entz, executive producer and president of production.

"We are pleased to extend our relationship with Alex for the next four years as a key voice in our all-star lineup of baseball minds on our MLB pre and post game shows in October,” said Entz in a statement.



ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" analyst chair opened up when former Yankees third baseman Aaron Boone became manager of the Bronx Bombers. Just like 2004, it's A-Rod who's succeeding Boone, except this time it's in the ESPN broadcast booth rather than the hot corner at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez will also appear in several upcoming network specials, while also serving as executive producer, according to ESPN.

"We’re excited about the potential for this team and we’re appreciative to our MLB Network and Fox Sports counterparts, as all parties were more than willing to collaborate in order to serve Major League Baseball fans," said Stephanie Druley, ESPN's senior vice president, events and studio production, in a statement.

What a difference a few years makes. The chance to work for not one, but two MLB broadcasters marks a remarkable turnaround for A-Rod. Only four years ago, the confessed steroids user was damaged goods. But he rehabilitated his public image via his informative and entertaining TV work for Fox, showing off a self-deprecating sense of humor that believed his spoiled diva image. His high-profile romance with superstar Jennifer Lopez has made them the sports/music "It" couple of the moment.

The relationship became possible, said media sources close to Fox, after ESPN parent Disney agreed to pay $60 billion to acquire most of 21st Century Fox's assets, including regional sports networks such as YES Network in New York. But sources close to ESPN said that the proposed Disney-Fox marriage didn't play a role in the A-Rod hire.

"It's a brave new world with Fox sharing talent," said one source familiar with the initial talks.

Sporting News broke the news ESPN was trying to lure A-Rod on Jan. 6. Ryan Glasspiegel of The Big Lead first reported ESPN was interested in hiring Vasgersian.