Thorne agrees to 1-year contract (source)

One of baseball’s most recognizable voices is returning to the airwaves.

MASN and Orioles lead play-by-play announcer Gary Thorne have agreed to a one-year contract for 2020, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MLB.com on Wednesday. Thorne, the O’s lead television voice for the past 13 seasons, has not appeared on Orioles broadcasts yet this year while in contract negotiations.

The Athletic was first to report the two sides agreed to terms on the deal, which does not extend to the 2021 season. Thorne and the network remain in negotiations with an eye toward him to returning in a more fleshed-out role next season.

As it stands, it is unclear what Thorne’s duties will be once he returns to the broadcast, but he will not call games from Camden Yards, per source. It is more likely that Thorne, 72, will contribute remotely via Zoom from his home in California.

Longtime local radio and TV announcer Scott Garceau, 68, has served as the O’s lead TV voice in Thorne’s absence this season, alongside color commentator Ben McDonald. The network has carved out remote roles for many of its older voices to contribute from home during the pandemic, notably longtime popular analyst Jim Palmer. The Orioles revamped their entire broadcasting roster to include more than 20 voices this spring, adding new radio voices Geoff Arnold, Brett Hollander and Melanie Newman.

Thorne, who has won multiple Emmys for his play-by-play work, has called the World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals, the Olympics and more over five decades in the booth. He was also the regular emcee at Hall of Fame induction weekend in Cooperstown, N.Y., for many years. His career calling baseball dates back to the mid-1980s.