Why Josh Byrnes and Paul DePodesta Could Transform the Rockies’ Future

Is Josh Byrnes part of the Rockies' path to a championship?

Sep 1, 2009; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes during batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Colorado Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes knows that he must deliver for the franchise. His baseball resume has the Rockies fans optimistic about what he can do to help the Rockies become a winning team. 

Byrnes and his longtime colleague, Paul DePodesta, who is the president of baseball operations, have the chance to go down as the most outstanding tandem in Colorado's front office history if they make the right decisions and pull the right strings from 2026 through 2030. 

Can Byrnes and DePodesta Surpass Bob Gebhard for Greatest Rockies Front Office Personnel? 

Cleveland Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta laughs on the sideline before an NFL preseason football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Gebhard was the first general manager of the Rockies when the team got started in 1993. He was responsible for bringing in the Blake Street Bombers: Dane Bichette, Andres Galarraga, Larry Walker, and Vinny Castilla. This group helped the Rockies reach the postseason for the first time in franchise history in 1995.

No one will forget the contributions Gebhard brought to the organization. He’s also responsible for the emergence of Hall of Fame Todd Helton. 

At 55, Byrnes has been in the right place at the right time. He’s learned from some of the best general managers.

Byrnes and DePodesta began their careers together with the Cleveland Indians when John Hart was the general manager. With hard work and discipline, Byrnes and DePodesta moved up the ranks. Both men witnessed the Indians become a powerhouse team in the 1990s, winning multiple AL Central division titles and appearing in two World Series. 

Byrnes started to taste bigger succsss working with Theo Epstein as the Boston Red Sox won it all in 2004. He went on to win three more championships, but with the Dodgers throughout this decade as a senior vice president of baseball operations. 

As for DePodesta, he went on to serve with the Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, and Dodgers.

Byrnes and DePodesta have reunited. It’s also Byrnes' second stint with the Rockies, and he has a group of players that can change the trajectory of this franchise in the next couple of years.

It’s time for Byrnes and DePodesta to help the Rockies finally become a powerhouse team, which we haven’t seen from this franchise in their 30-plus years of existence. The Rockies are craving to do what the Indians did in the 1990s, but hopefully to win a championship. 

The tandem will need to continue to build this team relentlessly through excellent drafting, successful scouting, and smart trades.

The Rockies will begin their championship quest by building around talented guys like Ethan Holliday, Charlie Condon, Ezequiel Tovar, Hunter Goodman, Chase Dollander, and Brody Brecht. 

To cement his legacy as the best Rockies front office duo ever, they will need three to four playoff appearances, two winning pennants, or a World Series. Let the 5-year window plan begin. 

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