Cleveland Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta is reportedly leaving his position to become the Colorado Rockies’ head of baseball operations, per Ken Rosenthal, Zac Jackson and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic.
DePodesta has been with the Browns since Jan. 2016.
Cleveland has gone 56-99-1 over the past decade with two playoff appearances and one postseason win.
DePodesta had a long career in baseball prior to heading to the NFL. He worked for Cleveland from 1996-1998 before joining the Oakland Athletics in 1999 as assistant general manager.
DePodesta was often mentioned in Michael Lewis’ book, Moneyball, about the 2002 A’s. That book was the inspiration for the Academy Award-nominated 2011 film.
He became the Los Angeles Dodgers’ GM in 2004, a role he stayed in for two seasons before the team parted ways with him in 2005. DePodesta then landed roles with the San Diego Padres and New York Mets before heading to the Browns.
DePodesta takes over a Rockies team that has endured seven straight losing seasons, including a 43-119 mark in 2025. Colorado has notably lost at least 101 games each of the past three seasons.
Turning this franchise around is a tall order for DePodesta, to say the least, especially in a tough NL West featuring the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the perennial playoff-competing San Diego Padres. DePodesta certainly brings a wealth of experience, though, as he looks to dig the Rockies out of the division cellar.