When longtime catcher Alex Avila decided that the 2021 season would be his last, he knew right away that while it would be his final year as a player, it wasn’t going to be his final year in the world of Major League Baseball.
“I’ll never not be involved in the game,” Avila said (via Savannah McCann of MLB.com). “I'll do something within the game. I don't know what that is yet. You know, once the season's over and going in the next few months, so figure that out, see where it goes. But I'll be involved. I love the game way too much.”
As it turns out, he was right. Because literally one day after Avila played his final game — one in which he smacked a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning — it was revealed that he’s going to be included on MLB Network’s postseason coverage as an in-studio guest analyst, according to a report from The Big Lead’s Kyle Koster.
"I'm honored they asked me," Avila told The Big Lead. "If there's one thing I can do it's talk baseball. "I'm looking forward to working with a new team and new teammates, to find another passion and feed off each other.”
Listen to sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest MLB team gear
He’ll be included on “MLB Tonight” on both Thursday and Friday, with another appearance sandwiched in-between those two on “MLB Central.”
When the weekend rolls around, Koster reports another former ballplayer, Hunter Pence, will be included on both nights’ episodes of “MLB Tonight.” Pence isn’t new to sports media, though he did just retire in 2020. Since then, he’s appeared on “The Athletic MLB Show” with his own special weekly episode alongside Grant Brisbee called “Baseball Barista.” He has also appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area’s broadcasts among other media opportunities.
It’s unsurprising that more and more former players are heading toward roles in media with opportunities popping up all over the place, be it podcasting, announcing, social media or other avenues. Some are more liked than others — that’s for sure — and it doesn’t seem to be a trend that’s going away any time soon. And for the most part, that’s a good thing, seeing as no one knows the game better than veterans like Pence and Avila.
Check out the full MLB postseason schedule on Audacy for more information as the playoffs get underway.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram