Yankees Slugger Mark Teixeira to Join ESPN As An Analyst

Mark Teixeira is heading to Bristol, Connecticut. The former New York Yankees slugger confirmed Tuesday that he would be joining ESPN as an analyst for the upcoming baseball season.

Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira has resurfaced. Reports of Teixeira’s post-retirement gig surfaced Monday night, though the news can hardly be considered a surprise. In addition to residing in Greenwich, Conn., the switch-hitting first baseman is one of the most media-friendly players in recent Major League Baseball memory.

“I couldn’t be more excited to begin this next chapter of my baseball career with ESPN,” Teixeira said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to being a part of their all-star rotation of commentators and to share my perspective with the fans.”

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Teixeira once guest-hosted the ESPN Radio show “Mike and Mike” and filmed a dozen episodes of a web series called “Foul Territory” for the YES Network. In the series, he conducted awkward interviews in the same vein as “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis” with other Yankee players, coaches and media members.

Watch him interview Derek Jeter here:

He’s also a member of the Greenwich International Film Festival and has cameoed in the HBO TV series “Entourage” in 2011 and the Broadway play “Rock of Ages” for one night only in 2013.

But Teixeira has more than a pretty decent reel to offer ESPN. He is one of five switch hitters in baseball history to hit 400 home runs. His company? Carlos Beltran, Chipper Jones, Eddie Murray and Mickey Mantle.

The Yankees signed Teixeira to an eight-year, $180 million deal before the 2009 season. That year, he finished second in AL MVP voting, and the Yankees won the World Series. Teixeira also had his signature Yankee moment that postseason, hitting a walk-off home run in game two of the ALDS en route to a sweep of the Minnesota Twins.

Before adding Teixeira, ESPN reached a “multi-year agreement” with retired Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross. One of the most well-liked players in MLB, Ross is coming off helping the Cubs win their first World Series title in more than 100 years.

Speaking with Newsday, Teixeira affirmed his decision to retire at age 36. A durable player early in his career, Teixeira began suffering more injuries – both nagging and serious – as he got deeper into his 30s. He said his body is “feeling better” now, but conceded he simply would not be able to get ready for spring training.

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So what can we expect from Tex in his new job? He told Newsday that he looked forward to having a platform to share his opinions and insights on the game. He also said he looked to joining former teammate Alex Rodriguez, who has received generally good reviews as a TV commentator.