The Colorado Rockies just hit the reset button in a major way. After a brutal 43-win season - one of the worst in modern MLB history - the organization is tearing it down and starting fresh. And they’re not wasting time bringing in some serious baseball minds to lead the charge.
At the top of the new-look front office is Paul DePodesta, the analytics pioneer whose work helped inspire Moneyball. Now installed as the Rockies’ president of baseball operations, DePodesta is already making bold moves.
His first major hire? Josh Byrnes, who’s stepping in as the team’s new general manager.
Byrnes is no stranger to the GM chair. He’s held the job before in Arizona and San Diego, and most recently spent over a decade as the Dodgers’ senior vice president of baseball operations. That’s a front-row seat to one of the most successful organizational builds in recent memory - and it’s experience the Rockies are clearly banking on.
What makes this reunion particularly interesting is the shared history between DePodesta and Byrnes. The two started their front office careers together in Cleveland, and Byrnes even had a stint as an assistant GM in Colorado before moving on to the Red Sox, where he earned a 2004 World Series ring. So while this is a new era in Denver, there’s a certain full-circle feel to it.
Byrnes’ GM track record is a mixed bag. His time with the Diamondbacks from 2005 to 2010 had its moments, but his tenure in San Diego didn’t end on a high note. Still, a decade with the Dodgers - working alongside Andrew Friedman, one of the sharpest minds in the game - likely gave Byrnes a fresh perspective on roster building, player development, and long-term strategy.
And that’s exactly what the Rockies need right now.
This isn’t a team known for big spending in free agency, and unless that changes, DePodesta and Byrnes will have to lean heavily on scouting, drafting, and player development to build a contender. That’s right in DePodesta’s wheelhouse - the same principles that helped the Oakland A’s punch above their weight in the early 2000s. And Byrnes, having worked closely with Friedman (who built a winner in Tampa Bay on a shoestring budget), knows what that blueprint looks like.
The front office overhaul is just part of the shake-up. The Rockies also have a new manager in Warren Schaeffer.
He’s unproven at the MLB level, but he’ll be working with a veteran leadership group upstairs. That dynamic - a fresh face in the dugout paired with experience in the executive suite - could be the right formula for a team trying to find its identity.
There’s no sugarcoating where this team stands right now. After a 43-win season, optimism is in short supply.
But what Colorado has done is bring in people who’ve seen how winning organizations operate. DePodesta and Byrnes may not be flashy hires, but they’re smart, seasoned, and well-connected - and that’s a solid starting point for a franchise in desperate need of direction.
The Rockies aren’t trying to fix things overnight. But with this new leadership group in place, they’ve at least given themselves a fighting chance to start building something sustainable.