Red Sox

Red Sox voice Joe Castiglione to reduce number of games called for WEEI; Lou Merloni to join booth

Castiglione, who has been the voice of the Red Sox since 1983, will do 81 games — half the Sox' regular-season slate — and Merloni will call about 60.

By Chad Finn

December 16, 2022

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Lou Merloni, who was informed last week that his contract will not be renewed after more than 10 years as a weekday host at WEEI, will still contribute to the station in a familiar way.

He will join the Red Sox flagship station’s broadcasts of Red Sox games next season, while Joe Castiglione, the radio play-by-play voice since 1983, will cut back the number of games that he calls.

Merloni will be in the booth for at least 60 regular-season and 10 spring training games this season. He will contribute to WEEI’s offseason Red Sox programing and make regular appearances on the station’s shows when news about the team breaks. Merloni has several seasons of experience as a Red Sox radio voice, though he’s done it less often in recent years.

Castiglione, who was a finalist this year for the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for career excellence in baseball broadcasting, will call 81 games in the 2023 season, half of the Red Sox’ schedule. Castiglione, 75, expects to do approximately 61 home games and 20 on the road.

“After 40 years and over 6,000 game broadcasts, my wife of 51 years, Jan, and I think that this is the right time to step back and work a reduced schedule of games while we are both in good health,” said Castiglione, who called 140 games in 2022. “This will give us the opportunity to spend more time with our children and six grandchildren as well.”

Castiglione said in a text Friday morning that he went to Sam Kennedy, Red Sox president and CEO, and Mike Thomas, senior vice president and market manager of Audacy Boston, in September and expressed a desire to cut back his schedule to spend more time with his family. He said Kennedy and Thomas were “very understanding” and that his agent, Steve Freyer, worked out the parameters with Thomas quickly.

Play-by-play voice Will Flemming will be back for his fourth season in the booth. Sean McDonough, who has called 30 or so games in each of the past three years, is expected to be back as well.

WEEI also will officially announce daily lineup changes that were reported here last week. Christian Fauria will move from afternoon drive to join Andy Gresh on its midday show.

Current midday host Rich Keefe will move to evenings and also serve as pregame host for Red Sox broadcasts. He replaces Mike Mutnansky, whose contract was not renewed.

Meghan Ottolini and Christian Arcand will continue to host the station’s afternoon drive program. A third voice is expected to be added eventually.