Josh Byrnes has been working on a mountaintop. Now, the experienced baseball executive is charged with helping rebuild a struggling team at the foot of the Rockies.
On Wednesday, the longtime Los Angeles Dodgers senior vice president of baseball operations was hired as the Rockies’ new general manager.
With the Rockies, the 55-year-old Byrnes will report to Paul DePodesta, Colorado’s new president of baseball operations. DePodesta and Byrnes have known each other for more than 30 years and worked together from 1996 to 1998 in Cleveland, where they both began their baseball careers. DePodesta said Byrnes’ baseball pedigree makes him an “exceptional hire” for the Rockies.
“The breadth of Josh’s experience — both in terms of the jobs he’s held within baseball organizations, and the organizations with which he’s worked — is outstanding. You put those two together, and it’s pretty exceptional,” DePodesta told The Denver Post.
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"He's been intimately involved with the Dodgers' success over the last 11 years, and he's been a big engine behind a lot of their success," DePodesta continued. "A lot of people there have made significant contributions, but I think his was particularly significant. For all of those reasons, I'm excited to have him."
DePodesta and Byrnes are not linked just by baseball, but by family. Two of DePodesta's children graduated from Francis Parker School in San Diego, as did Byrnes' two daughters.
This will be Byrnes' second stint with the Rockies. After beginning his career with Cleveland in 1994 as an intern and rising through the scouting ranks to become the scouting director in 1998, Byrnes joined GM Dan O’Dowd as part of Colorado's new front office after the 1999 season. In 2000, his first full season with the Rockies, Byrnes was just 29.
"I’m thrilled to be returning to the Rockies organization, especially at such an exciting time for the future of the franchise,” Byrnes said in a statement. "Working alongside Paul again is an incredible opportunity, and I’m eager to join him and the rest of the group as we work to bring championship-caliber baseball to the Rockies.”
However, Byrnes will be forgiven if he experiences culture shock in Colorado. He's moving on from a Dodgers team that won three World Series in the last six years (2020, 2024, 2025) to a team that lost 100-plus games for three consecutive seasons, including 119 losses this past season.
Byrnes has worked for the Dodgers since 2014. He was one of Andrew Friedman’s first hires when Friedman was named president of baseball operations in Los Angeles. Byrnes supervised the club’s scouting and player development.
When Colorado hired DePodesta, he said he was "a sucker for a challenge." On Wednesday, he said Byrnes is just as eager to solve the Rockies' riddle.
"We both left really good situations to come do this," said DePodesta, who spent 10 years with the NFL's Cleveland Browns as the team's chief strategy officer. "(Colorado) is a particularly intriguing challenge. He's already lived it for a few years and wants it again. So I think he absolutely shares that feeling with me.
"He, obviously, had a terrific set-up in L.A. and they have been hugely successful. He has been highly influential there. There is no real reason for him, but this is a rare challenge, and he's drawn to that."
DePodesta previously said he was searching for a GM who would complement him. He believes Byrnes is that man.
"His attention to detail is exceptional in every facet of the game," DePodesta said. "Whether that's scouting, player development, major league roster building -- all of it -- he's been deeply entrenched in it over the years. I think he sees every angle."
DePodesta added that Byrnes will help him with the transition back to Major League Baseball after DePodesta spent more than a decade in the NFL.
"I think he will be hugely helpful, not just for me, but for everybody," he said. "I don't think anybody has been as immersed (in baseball) as he has been over the last 10 years.
"But I also think there is a lot of crossover. I also think that's really important. We have shared values and visions for this team."
Bud Black, the former Rockies manager, who also led the Padres when Byrnes was a GM in San Diego, gave the move a thumbs-up.
"I have known Josh for 30 years and have worked closely with him in Cleveland and San Diego," Black said. "He has an immense passion for baseball and knows what it takes to win. Paired with Paul, they will be formidable."
Josh Byrnes' Baseball Bio
Josh Byrnes, 55, has worked in baseball front offices since 1994, including a stint as Rockies assistant general manager under former GM Dan O'Dowd from the fall of 1999 until he left to join the Boston Red Sox for the 2003-05 seasons. Following is Byrnes' career path:
- Cleveland Indians (Guardians) (1994-1999): Began career as an intern, rose to scouting director in 1998
- Colorado Rockies (2000-2002): Joined the Rockies as an assistant GM
- Boston Red Sox (2003-2004): Became assistant general manager in 2003 and, in 2004, helped the Red Sox win their first World Series title since 1918
- Arizona Diamondbacks (2005-2010): Served as executive vice president and general manager for six seasons
- San Diego Padres (2011-2014): Byrnes joined the Padres as senior vice president of baseball operations in 2010. In 2011, he was promoted to general manager.
- Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-2025): Joined L.A. as senior vice president of baseball operations. He was recruited by Andrew Friedman, the team's president of baseball operations. During his 11 years with the Dodgers, the team won three World Series titles (2020, 2024 and 2025)
— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
