Dodgers hire Joe Davis to call 50 road games on TV in 2016

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers signed likely their youngest free agent addition of the offseason, adding 27-year-old Joe Davis to call 50 road games on television for SportsNet LA in 2016.

Davis will call those road games with Orel Hershiser, Nomar Garciaparra and Alanna Rizzo. It is unclear how many road games, if any, Vin Scully will call in 2016, Scully's 67th and final season. Scully in 2015 only called nine games away from Dodger Stadium - six in San Francisco and three in Anaheim.

Charley Steiner will call the remainder of the road games televised by SportsNet LA in 2016 and, when he isn't calling the game on television will continue to team with Rick Monday on the radio broadcast.

Davis calls college football, college basketball and baseball games for Fox Sports, having done so since 2014. Prior to that he called college football, college basketball, hockey and softball games for ESPN for a year and a half, as well as occasional baseball for ESPN radio.

Davis called the Poinsettia Bowl for ESPN in December 2013 at 25, the youngest to call a bowl game for ESPN.

"Joe Davis has put together an outstanding play-by-play resume," said Dodgers chief marketing officer Lon Rosen. "We are thrilled to have one of the top young sports broadcast talents in the nation join our great television team."

Davis played football for four years at Beloit College in Wisconsin, and as a student also called the school's baseball and men's and women's basketball games. After college Davis called games for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits in the Rays organization for three years, and was the Southern League Broadcaster of the Year in 2012.

With Scully in his final season in 2016, it's hard to see this hire as anything but a grooming for a year for Davis to be Scully's successor, not that the team has said anything to that effect. No pressure, kid! But getting a year under his belt in the organization first is very likely a good idea and will help any potential transition.

"I’m so honored to have this opportunity," Davis said in a press release. "With such a deep, storied history, the Dodgers are one of the great organizations in all of sports. I’m looking forward to being a part of the fantastic crew already in place, and can’t wait to work with Vin, Orel, Nomar, Charley, Rick and Alanna."