At this point, it feels inevitable that ESPN claws back at least some slice of Major League Baseball’s media rights. The two sides walked away from each other via a mutual opt-out, as ESPN grew frustrated by what it was paying, while MLB was disappointed with how the network prioritized the sport. That kind of fractured dynamic doesn’t usually lend itself to reconciliation.

And yet, here we are.

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported last month that ESPN and MLB had reopened negotiations ahead of a soft deadline set by commissioner Rob Manfred. While that deadline came and went, Manfred later confirmed that ESPN, NBC, and Apple have all submitted formal bids for MLB’s exclusive Sunday package.

While negotiations continue behind the scenes, one of ESPN’s most visible baseball voices is making his pitch in public. Karl Ravech, the long-time Sunday Night Baseball play-by-play announcer and face of the network’s MLB coverage, is borderline campaigning for the relationship to continue.

“I’m incredibly optimistic still about a relationship between ESPN and Major League Baseball,” Ravech said via the CT Post. “ESPN has the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, all of the college sports, all the championships. I feel like Major League Baseball would really want to be a part of it, and I know we would love to have Major League Baseball as part of the platform. It just feels really logical that the relationship will continue.”

Logical is one way of putting it. Inevitable might be another, but only if both sides are willing to compromise.

ESPN has an opportunity to reassert itself in a space it once dominated, and MLB has every reason to want back in with a media partner that still owns the biggest sports megaphone in the country. That mutual interest opens the door for creative arrangements. In fact, Manfred revealed that the Sunday Night Baseball package could be split, which is essentially a compromise that could keep ESPN involved while giving NBC or Apple the flexibility to carve out summer inventory for their own evolving strategies.

NBC, for example, could become a natural landing spot for summer games, serving as a bridge between its spring NBA obligations and the return of Sunday Night Football in the fall. That would leave ESPN with the option to bookend the season, keeping its April and September windows intact while easing the programming load in the middle of the year.

It’s a creative solution that preserves ESPN’s relationship with baseball, just in a more flexible, modern form. And while NBC’s involvement adds legacy credibility, don’t forget about Apple. Sports Business Journal recently reported that the tech giant has emerged as a front-runner for the package, and with its Friday night slate already in place, a Sunday window could further cement Apple’s slow, deliberate build into premium live sports.

Manfred also hinted that ESPN’s bid could include local broadcast rights for the five MLB clubs whose games are currently produced and distributed by the league itself. That would be the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, and San Diego Padres.

And with ESPN’s standalone streaming platform set to launch this fall, it’s a particularly meaningful development. Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has been clear about wanting the network to get involved in local MLB rights. If this deal goes through, it could give ESPN not just a foothold in national rights but a head start on rebuilding the kind of local-sports infrastructure that once defined regional sports networks.

Still, even those on the front lines know nothing is guaranteed.

“No question there is a possibility this is the last year of Sunday Night Baseball or the last year that ESPN is involved in the Home Run Derby. By the same token, there may be different opportunities,” Ravech said.

“I will miss it tremendously when it’s gone despite some of the challenges that go into it,” he added. “I know how incredibly fortunate I’ve been to be associated with Major League Baseball.”

And while Ravech sounds like someone preparing for goodbye, he’s also leaving the door open for a reimagined return.