"Bringing Joe into the fold continues our trend of hiring high caliber, versatile talent who we know can be successful in a wide variety of roles," said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network. "Joe's experience as a broadcaster and a player speaks for itself, and his presence will clearly enrich our programming."
Magrane has been part of the Rays broadcast team as color analyst since the team's inception in 1998. He also worked on FOX baseball telecasts, and was a color analyst for NBC's baseball coverage of the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games. In 2002, he served as a postgame reporter for the NLCS on FOX. An All-America selection at the University of Arizona in 1985, Magrane enjoyed a ten-year Major League career, compiling a 56-67 record with the St. Louis Cardinals (1987-93), California Angels (1993-95), and Chicago White Sox (1996). He finished third in the 1987 NL Rookie of the Year voting, helping lead the Cardinals to the World Series. He won the NL ERA title in 1988 and the following year won 18 games, placing third in the NL Cy Young voting.
