Longtime baseball and NFL executive Paul DePodesta is “in deep discussions” and close to becoming the next head of the Colorado Rockies’ baseball operations, a team source told The Denver Post on Thursday.
The deal has not been finalized but could be soon. The Rockies are expected to announce the decision Friday. DePodesta has been part of the team’s hiring process throughout its search and has interviewed with officials at the club’s offices at 20th and Blake, the source said.
Additional front-office hires may follow, including the possible addition of a general manager to serve under DePodesta.
DePodesta, 53, was the analytics whiz portrayed by Jonah Hill in the movie “Moneyball.” He spent the past 10 seasons as the Cleveland Browns’ chief strategy officer. The Browns are 56-99-1 since hiring DePodesta in January 2016.
The Rockies are coming off a 119-loss season and have not finished above .500 since making the playoffs as a wild-card team in 2018. Owner Dick Monfort and his son, Walker, the club’s executive vice president, said they would look outside the organization for their next top baseball executive.
Two previous finalists for the job - Arizona Diamondbacks assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye and Cleveland Guardians assistant GM Matt Forman - held in-person interviews with the Monforts over the past week, but neither was selected.
The Rockies parted ways with general manager Bill Schmidt on Oct. 1. Schmidt, who had been the club’s GM since early in the 2021 season, oversaw a team that lost more than 100 games in each of the last three years.
DePodesta previously served in front-office roles with the Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and New York Mets. He also spent two seasons as general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, his highest-ranking position in baseball. He assumed the job in February 2004 and was fired in October 2005 after the franchise went 164-160 during his tenure.