Padres fans laugh as Rockies hire ex-Browns exec to run their franchise

The National League West figures to be a powerhouse in the coming years. The dynastic Los Angeles Dodgers looming, and legitimate postseason contenders in San Diego, Arizona, and San Francisco all gearing up to challenge their reign of terror.

However, every MLB division has five teams, and you’ll notice we didn’t mention the Colorado Rockies in that brief preamble. Save for a miracle run in 2007, the Rockies have been largely irrelevant in the broader baseball landscape for most of their existence.

Not to kick a franchise while its down, but the Rockies have made the playoffs five times in franchise history. In that same span, they've experienced 24 losing seasons, including a bottoming out in 2025 when they lost a stunning 119 games. For reference, the Padres have as many 90+ win seasons over the past two years as the Rockies have had since their pennant run in '07.

Naturally, all that losing has led to quite a bit of turnover in the dugout and front office, and the Rockies had to find yet another general manager after dismissing Bill Schmidt following the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.

Paul DePodesta, architect of failed Cleveland Browns rebuild, set to try and save Colorado Rockies

Well, they've found their new front office leader, and it's a doozy. Straight from the NFL, Paul DePodesta of Moneyball fame is set to try and pull the Rockies out of their rut.

Despite their long-running futility, the Rockies have actually given the Padres some trouble over the years — they have the historical edge (278-263) and won three of the past five season series.

Nevertheless, they appear to be in worse state than ever nowadays, and DePodesta will have his work cut out for him. A protégé of Billy Beane during the Athletics' Moneyball era, DePodesta was once renowned for his analytical work in Major League Baseball, though his star has lost some shine during his NFL tenure.

Between DePodesta's hiring in January 2016 and him leaving for the Rockies, the Cleveland Browns went 56-100-1. They did make two playoff appearances in that time — their first postseason action since 2002 — but DePodesta also facilitated the Deshaun Watson trade, one of the most lopsided deals in NFL history.

Funny enough, DePodesta actually had a stop in San Diego before that ill-fated attempt to rebuild the Browns. He served as the special assistant for baseball operations from 2006-08 before being promoted to executive vice president, a position he would hold for two years. He was also the general manager of the Dodgers from 2004-05.

He'll now get a third crack at success in the NL West, though the Rockies may be one of few sports franchises even more moribund than the Browns. If he can turn them into a serious contender in a loaded division, it'll be one of the greatest miracles in baseball history.