The Cleveland Browns are set to lose Paul DePodesta from their front office after it was announced he would be returning to baseball to head up operations for the Colorado Rockies
07:44 ET, 07 Nov 2025
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Paul DePodesta Cleveland Browns Chief Strategy Officer addresses the media after the Browns introduced Kevin Stefanski as the Browns new head coach on January 14, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Paul DePodesta is set to leave the Cleveland Browns
Paul DePodesta is heading back to baseball after it was confirmed he would be leaving the Cleveland Browns front office to run operations for the Colorado Rockies.
Having been hired by the Browns, who are enduring a challenging 2025 season, back in 2016 as their chief strategy officer, Podesta, best known for serving as the assistant to Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane during the 'Moneyball' era, is now set to return to baseball with the Rockies.
The 52-year-old is expected to become the Rockies head of baseball operations. Posting on X, Browns beatwriter Mary Kay Cabot wrote: "#Browns Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta is leaving the Browns to become head of baseball operations for the Colorado Rockies, a league source confirms."
Before joining the Browns, DePodesta spent 20 years in the MLB, and is perhaps best known for helping to lead the stat-led revolution of the sport. Though he didn't want his name and likeness used in the film, he is portrayed in the Brad Pitt-led film by Jonah Hill, who plays a fictionalized version of DePodesta. Named Peter Brand, he acts as the avatar for much of DePodesta's time with the A.'s.
During that time, he was the only executive in the league to win divisional titles with five different organizations, having worked for the Athletics, Cleveland Guardians, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.
DePodesta will take over from Bill Schmidt, who stepped down from his role with the Rockies following their 43-119 season, one of the worst records in MLB history.
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And in taking over from Schmidt, DePodesta will be tasked with trying to transform a Colorado franchise that has suffered three straight 100-loss seasons.
While he did not make personnel decisions with the Browns, DePodesta worked in the front office, helping to target players during free agency and the NFL Draft.
Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Paul Depodesta speaks about newest acquisition J.D. Drew at press conference held Thursday, December 23, 2004 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Soohoo/Getty Images)
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DePodesta, pictured here back in 2004 when he was the Los Angeles Dodgers general manager, is set to return to baseball(Image: Getty)
But his time in Cleveland has not been the success he would have hoped it would be when he joined the franchise back in 2016.
During his tenure, Cleveland went 57-101-1, making two playoff appearances. His first two seasons with Cleveland also saw the Browns go 1-15 in 2016 and 0-16 in 2017.
BEREA, OH - MAY 25: Chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta (L) and general manager Andrew Berry of the Cleveland Browns talk after the Cleveland Browns OTAs at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on May 25, 2022 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
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Paul DePodesta was part of the team that hired Andrew Berry as the Cleveland Browns general manager(Image: Getty)
He also played a part in drafting Myles Garrett first overall in 2017, Baker Mayfield first overall in 2018 as well as hiring head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry, who guided the franchise back to the playoffs in 2020. They also made a playoff appearance in 2023.
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However, DePodesta was also involved in the franchise's decision to make arguably the worst trade in NFL history, when Cleveland traded three first-round picks to the Houston Texans, before signing him to a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million deal, a decision which is still hurting the Browns financially.
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