GM Josh Byrnes joined the Rockies for ‘the challenge’ and to team with Paul DePodesta

Josh Byrnes had it good in Los Angeles. Very good.

During his 11 seasons there as the Dodgers’ senior vice president of baseball operations, he won three World Series rings, including back-to-back championships in 2024-25. He also had one of the biggest payrolls in the majors and helped build one of baseball’s best farm systems.

So, why in the name of Shohei Ohtani did he give all of that up to come to Colorado and try to pull the 119-loss Rockies out of the basement?

Two major reasons. First, he accepted the job as the Rockies’ new GM because he liked the “intriguing challenge.” Second, he was eager to work with Paul DePodesta, the new president of baseball operations, whom he’s known since they both got their start in Cleveland’s front office in the mid-1990s.

“It was a hard decision,” the 55-year-old Byrnes said Friday during an introductory Zoom session with Colorado media. “I loved every day with the Dodgers and have a tremendous amount of respect for the people. But I’ve known Paul for 30 years, and he and I have always embraced challenges. I think he’s brilliant. I think there’s a lot we can both bring to this, and also not just tell stories about what we’ve done, but create a new future for this franchise.”

Byrnes will join DePodesta in Orlando, Fla., when baseball’s winter meetings begin on Monday. He said he still needs to get up to speed on what the Rockies have and what they don’t. He also knows he’s taking on an enormous challenge.

“Obviously, 119 losses, there’s no sugarcoating it,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to do. But if you really talk to people around the game, there’s quite a bit of intrigue in trying to solve it here.”

Byrnes is coming from an organization viewed as cutting-edge to the Rockies, a franchise seen as behind the times in analytics, coaching, and team-building. DePodesta, however, said the Rockies are making moves to catch up.

“There’s been real energy behind investing in the baseball operation — I won’t get into the details of exactly how we plan to allocate some of those funds, but there’s a real appetite for that,” DePodesta said. “We all realize that it’s a necessity in order to compete in today’s game.

“Josh and I have both been in situations with immense resources, and we’ve also been in situations that have had lesser resources, also by a significant amount. We feel very comfortable with what’s available here. The mindset is that there’s a desire to invest pretty heavily on the baseball side.”

While fans of the Broncos, Nuggets, and Avalanche can dream of championships, Rockies fans have suffered through seven consecutive losing seasons. Byrnes wants to help change that.

“I wouldn’t come in here without some optimism and confidence that we can get there,” he said. “The excitement around those teams in Denver for winning is something you can feel, I’m sure. We want to be part of that, without a doubt.”

Roster moves. The Rockies continue to tweak their roster. On Friday, they waived catcher Drew Romo, the 35th overall pick in 2020. The Orioles claimed Romo. Right-handed pitcher Anthony Molina, a Rule 5 draft pick, was also waived. Molina was claimed by the Braves.

Romo, 24, hit just .167 in 19 major league games over two seasons. He managed to overcome “the yips” he came down with on throws back to the mound, but became expendable when Hunter Goodman became an All-Star and the first catcher in Rockies history to earn a Silver Slugger Award last season. Also, backup Braxton Fulford earned big-league playing time and surpassed Romo on the depth chart.

Two weeks ago, the Rockies non-tendered strikeout-prone first baseman Michael Toglia. He was the Rockies’ top pick (23rd overall) in the 2019 Draft out of UCLA.