TBNL: Colorado hires Paul DePodesta; Padres pick Craig Stammen

Despite all the rumors you might hear, baseball is not dying.

World Series viewership was up across the board, according to numbers released by MLB. Game 7, in particular, was the most-watched World Series game in 34 years (1991, Game 7), averaging 51 million viewers (combining the United States, Canada, and Japan).

U.S. viewership across the seven-game series averaged 16.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched WS since 2017.

Colorado’s front office search looked pretty dysfunctional over the last two weeks. The team went quickly from “narrowed to two finalists” to “starting over in their search” to Thursday’s news. According to a report from Ken Rosenthal, Zac Jackson, and Brittany Ghiroli at The Athletic, the team will hire Paul DePodesta as their new general manager.

It is a surprising — and somewhat fascinating — hire.

DePodesta started his career in baseball as an intern with the Cleveland Indians. After three seasons in Cleveland, he’d join Billy Beane in Oakland as his assistant general manager. DePodesta’s understanding of analytics and how they can shape roster decisions helped the duo develop the ‘moneyball’ mindset that would famously be depicted in a book and movie of the same name (Jonah Hill portrayed DePodesta, though he didn’t give the film permission to use his name).

The Dodgers named DePodesta their general manager in February 2004, but he would spend just 20 months in the role. Los Angeles fired him after the 2005 season, when the team went 71-91 (their second-worst finish since moving to L.A.).

He then worked under Sandy Alderson with the Padres and Mets, mostly working in scouting and player development roles.

In January 2016, DePodesta was hired as the chief strategy officer by the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. The Browns are 56-99-1 during his 10 seasons with the franchise.

The Rockies — and owner Dick Monfort, particularly — have long been criticized for “being too insular.” Monfort even wanted certain personnel retained by a new front office, according to reports. Rosenthal, Jackson, and Ghiroli’s report suggests that this may have played a role in the discussions falling apart with the team’s two perceived finalists, Guardians’ assistant general manager Matt Forman and Diamondbacks’ assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye (who appeared to be the favorite and would have been a fantastic choice). Sawdaye rejected the Rockies’ offer, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (while Forman took himself out of consideration).

Colorado’s unwillingness to spend extends beyond payroll for the on-field team. The team has had one of the smallest analytics, research, and scouting departments in all of baseball for much of the last two decades. Rebuilding those areas from scratch — as well as catching them up to the rest of the modern game — will be among DePodesta’s first important tasks (as well as hiring a manager).

Colorado is 402-629 (.389) in the seven seasons since its last playoff appearance, including three consecutive 100-loss seasons. One could argue that the club’s five best building blocks each carry potential flaws:

That isn’t exactly a strong core to build around. Nor is it a group that will bring in several pieces via trade to help boost the rebuild if DePodesta opts to move them.

Turning things around in Colorado will be a long process. And it’s going to require patience.

San Diego has hired a new manager … and it’s not a choice anyone saw coming. Somehow, that feels typical for Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller.

The Padres named Craig Stammen as the team’s new manager on Thursday. Stammen has spent the last two seasons working in the organization’s player development department. Presumably, given Stammen’s zero prior coaching experience, the club will look to fill his staff with seasoned coaches to make up for some of that inexperience (pitching coach Ruben Niebla is already under contract, having been extended last spring).

Stammen, 41, spent most of his 13 seasons in the majors working primarily in middle relief. The right-hander had a 3.66 ERA (110 ERA+) in 885.0 IP with the Nationals and Padres before a shoulder injury in 2023 during spring training forced him to retire.

Mike Shildt’s unexpected resignation following the season (with several reports that he had a “troublesome” relationship with Preller and other members of the front office) left the team among seven other clubs seeking a new manager for the 2026 season.

Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, Rangers special assistant Todd Hundley, Albert Pujols (whose in-person interview reportedly lasted nine hours), and a fourth unnamed candidate were believed to be the finalists for the job. Niebla was known to have interviewed, as did Padres bench coach Brian Esposito (it’s unclear if he will return). There were never any reports suggesting Stammen was under consideration until the team’s announcement on Thursday.

Don Mattingly reached the World Series for the first time after 36 years in baseball. It wasn’t a real reach when speculation began that the 64-year-old might be considering retirement following the series. Mattingly will not be returning to the Blue Jays, according to reports on Thursday, but is not retiring either. He’s keeping things “open for the right job".

Reports out of Philadelphia — where his son, Preston, is the team’s general manager — have already suggested that he could be a fit for the team’s bench coach job under Rob Thomson.

Former Padres manager (116-106 in two seasons) and Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler is reportedly joining Tony Vitello’s staff in San Francisco. The two were teammates at the University of Missouri and have remained close. Max Scherzer was also a teammate of the duo. The free agent could be an obvious choice for the Giants as a replacement for Justin Verlander.

Bruce Bochy is also reportedly finalizing a deal to become a special advisor to Buster Posey.

Meanwhile, the Mets have seen a pair of well-respected coaches leave the team for a division rival. Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and first base coach Antoan Richardson have been hired to fill the same roles on Walt Weiss’s staff with the Braves.

Brewers associate manager Rickie Weeks is reportedly transitioning into a special assistant role, where he’ll focus on scouting.

Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus has been named the manager of Team Israel for the World Baseball Classic.

The general theme in Chicago appears to be “cost-saving” since the season concluded. The Cubs declined a seemingly affordable option to retain Shota Imanaga for the next three seasons and then traded reliever Andrew Kittredge away. A report the next day suggested the team doesn’t plan to be involved in “market for this winter’s top free agent relief arms”.

Now, the team has made a surprisingly shrewd move to buy itself an extra year of team control. The Cubs already held a $6 million option (or a $750,000 buyout) on right-hander Colin Rea. It appeared like an easy decision to exercise, considering how he pitched this past season. Instead, the two sides reached a new deal that essentially gives the 35-year-old a $500,000 raise (when you add in the $1 million buyout on the option) and the team an option for 2027 (for $7.5 million).

Rea has been a late bloomer, with the two best seasons of his career coming in his mid-30s. He rejoined the Cubs last offseason following a stint with the Brewers and was expected to serve as a swingman out of the bullpen. Once Justin Steele was lost to Tommy John surgery, Rea was shifted to the rotation. He was 11-7 with a 3.95 ERA (97 ERA+) over 159.1 IP (only Matthew Boyd pitched more for Chicago).

It’s too early to tell how aggressively new Rays owner Patrick Zalupski will spend to improve the team. Until a significant move is made, however, we’re left to assume business will continue at the status quo in Tampa Bay. Speculation over the last few weeks suggested the team would exercise the options on a pair of veteran players, but would then look to trade them this offseason.

Second baseman Brandon Lowe’s $11.5 million option was indeed exercised. Right-handed reliever Pete Fairbanks’ $11 million option was not.

Lowe has hit .247/.326/.481 (123 OPS+) over his 8-year career with the Rays. He hit 31 home runs and had 83 RBI this past season, while earning his second All-Star appearance. Lowe has spent most of his career at second, but his range has slowed since a 2023 injury (fractured kneecap), and the 31-year-old has gained some experience at first base and the corner outfields.

Fairbanks had a rough rookie season in 2019, starting in Texas before a mid-July trade to Tampa Bay. Over the six seasons since, though, he’s been among the sport’s best late-inning relievers — a 2.87 ERA (142 ERA+) with 304 strikeouts and 94 walks over 244.1 IP with 88 saves. A one-year, $11 million deal for a reliever with that kind of track record should have drawn interest on the trade market, but it seems the Rays were unable to find an interested suitor.

Inspired by Blue Jays fans donating to the Seattle Children’s Hospital following the ALCS, several Dodgers fans opted to send donations to the SickKids Hospital in Toronto. The hospital received more than 400 donations during the World Series from US-based donors, totaling almost $30,000, according to the Toronto Star.