MLB Network’s dismissal of Ken Rosenthal shows just how soft MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is

Andrew Marchand of The New York Post just broke the news that MLB Network has severed ties with MLB insider Ken Rosenthal. Why? He has criticized MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in the last two years or so.

MLB Network is owned by a few different corporations but the stakeholder with the vast majority (67 percent) is MLB. This is why MLB Network hasn’t had any original programming in over a month with the MLB lockout.

MLB Network not bringing Ken Rosenthal back over criticism of Commissioner Rob Manfred

Ken Rosenthal has been with MLB Network since its inception in 2009 and he has been a highly regarded MLB insider for longer than that. He started his career in the early 1980s as a reporter in New Jersey before becoming the beat writer for the Baltimore Orioles in 1986 for The Baltimore Sun.

Rosenthal became a contributor for Sports Illustrated from 1990 to 2000 while still with the Sun. Rosenthal was named Maryland Sportswriter of the Year five times while at the Sun. Rosenthal also spent five years as senior baseball writer at The Sporting News before becoming a full-time writer at the national level for FOX Sports. A few years ago, he joined The Athletic.

Rosenthal has also been a field reporter for FOX Sports and MLB Network for live games since 2005 and he has won two Emmys for his field reporting.

However, according to Andrew Marchand, Rosenthal had been “in a months-long penalty box” with MLBN earlier this year over criticism of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Apparently, things started when Rosenthal wrote this column (subscription required) for The Athletic in June 2020, when the pandemic postponed the start of the season and the MLB owners were threatening to cancel the season. Rosenthal criticized Manfred for his handling of the negotiations for the start of the season but it was far from being worthy of being too harsh.

Rosenthal’s contract expired at the end of 2021 but Marchand says that MLB Network will not renew their contract with him and it’s mainly due to criticism of Manfred.

Marchand reports that Rosenthal will continue at The Athletic and FOX Sports as a reporter as well as FOXSports.com for video contributions.

But Rosenthal will be missed by many fans for his good reporting on MLB Network but, unfortunately, Rob Manfred and MLB cannot take some criticism, even when it is not all that harsh.