The YES Network is reshaping its New York Yankees broadcast team, parting ways with longtime analyst and play-by-play voice John Flaherty as the network looks to streamline its game coverage around marquee commentators David Cone, Paul O’Neill, and Joe Girardi, sources confirmed to The Athletic.
Flaherty, 58, had been part of YES Yankees telecasts for two decades, joining the booth immediately after retiring from a 14-year Major League catching career that included three seasons with the Yankees. His departure marks the end of a long run that helped connect the franchise’s modern coverage to its post-dynasty era.
The decision, according to multiple reports including The Athletic, aligns with YES’s plan to emphasize star power in its booth. Cone, O’Neill, and Girardi were all members of the Yankees’ championship core during the late 1990s and early 2000s. All are expected to rotate in pairs next season.
In addition to Flaherty’s exit, part-time analysts Jeff Nelson and Dave Valle will also not return for the 2026 season. A YES spokesperson confirmed all three moves to The Athletic.
Flaherty told The Athletic he wasn’t surprised by the decision. He was told from YES executive producer Jared Boshnack on Monday that the network declined his option back in August.
“I was kind of prepared for it so I think that helped,” Flaherty said. “It quickly went from. The reality that you are not going to be back to what a great run for 20 years… I just became very grateful for what a long and great run it has been at YES and being connected with the Yankees all those years.”
Flaherty added that while the transition is bittersweet. He’s intrigued by the possibility of new opportunities either inside or outside baseball for the first time in nearly four decades.
As it does every offseason, YES is conducting a full evaluation of its game and studio production teams. These continue to feature Bob Lorenz and Jack Curry as pre- and postgame anchors.
The network has made similar recalibrations before. In 2022, YES experimented with Carlos Beltran and Cameron Maybin as analysts but quickly pivoted after limited success. This latest overhaul further reflects the network’s push to focus on its championship-era personalities—Cone, O’Neill, and Girardi—who remain the familiar faces of Yankees nostalgia and broadcast credibility.
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