Miami Marlins, FOX Sports drop Tommy Hutton

Marlins play-by-play announcer Rich Waltz will be working with a new color commentator in 2016. Tommy Hutton, who spent 19 years covering the Marlins, did not have his contract renewed, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Surprising and disturbing news: The Marlins and Fox Sports Florida have dropped Tommy Hutton, who was team's TV analyst past 19 years.

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 23, 2015

Hutton told Jackson he was not given any kind of explanation by the organization.

“All I got was we've made a decision to go in another direction,” he said. “They insisted it wasn't about budget. I was surprised and shocked the way it was handled given the fact it was two months into the offseason and a couple days before Thanksgiving.”

Hutton and Gary Carter are the only two color commentators in the Marlins' brief history. Neither the organization nor FOX opted to justify the decision.

PJ Loyello, the team’s senior vice president/communications and broadcasting, said only: “It was a mutual decision between Fox and the ball club and we decided to go in a different direction.”

Fox wouldn’t comment beyond this statement: “This was a joint decision with the Marlins to move forward with a new color analyst beginning next season. We thank Tommy for his calls and contributions over the years at FOX Sports Florida.”

Hutton and Waltz appeared to have a great chemistry and knew each other's styles well. Hutton was often known for his rants, but his passion for the game was evident through his calls and daily coverage of the Marlins.

A search for Hutton's replacement will begin soon, according to Jackson.