Paul Depodesta

Paul DePodesta (born 1972) is the current general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and is the ninth general manager in the club's history while in Los Angeles.

Related Topics:
1972 - General manager - Los Angeles Dodgers

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He is a native of Alexandria, Virginia and attended Harvard University, where he played baseball and football and graduated cum laude in 1995 with a degree in economics.

Related Topics:
Harvard University - Baseball - Football

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DePodesta worked for the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League and the Baltimore Bandits of the American Hockey League.

Related Topics:
Baltimore Stallions - Canadian Football League - Baltimore Bandits - American Hockey League

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In 1996, he got his first baseball job with the Cleveland Indians, where he spent three seasons. He served as an advance scout for two years and his final month with the club he was appointed special assistant to General Manager John Hart.

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In 1999, he joined the Oakland Athletics organization as an assistant to general manager Billy Beane.

Related Topics:
Oakland Athletics - Billy Beane

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DePodesta was a central figure in Michael Lewis's book, . It was in this book that sabermetric baseball analysis was thrust into the mainstream.

Related Topics:
Michael Lewis - Sabermetric

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At the age of 31, he was named general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers on February 16, 2004 making him the third-youngest person to be named general manager in baseball history behind Theo Epstein (28) of the Boston Red Sox and Randy Smith (29) of the San Diego Padres.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles Dodgers - Theo Epstein

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DePodesta has been somewhat controversial in that he follows sabermetric principles, which are based largely on the analysis of Bill James. A chasm has developed between traditional "tools" oriented baseball philosophy and sabermetric philosophy, which is largely what the controversy is based upon.

Related Topics:
Sabermetric - Bill James

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One of DePodesta's most notable moves was to trade catcher Paul Lo Duca in what was reportedly an attempt to pick up trade pieces to acquire Randy Johnson. As part of that series of trades, Guillermo Mota, then setup man to closer Eric Gagne, was traded to the Florida Marlins in exchange for Brad Penny and Hee-Seop Choi.

Related Topics:
Paul Lo Duca - Randy Johnson - Guillermo Mota - Eric Gagne - Florida Marlins - Brad Penny - Hee-Seop Choi

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DePodesta reportedly offered a six-year, 66-milion dollar contract to Adrian Beltre in the 2004 offseason, which Beltre declined and chose instead to sign with the Seattle Mariners for a contract that had a yearly average value of about $2 million dollars more than the Dodgers' offer.

Related Topics:
Adrian Beltre - Seattle Mariners

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DePodesta's first free-agent signings include J.D. Drew, Jeff Kent, and Derek Lowe.

Related Topics:
J.D. Drew - Jeff Kent - Derek Lowe

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Though fans and media roundly criticized these moves, Beltre and Mota have been largely ineffective for their new teams and Drew, Kent, and Lowe have been performed well for the Dodgers.

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DePodesta has also served as a keynote speaker at numerous business conventions and has been recognized by several publications including Baseball Prospectus and Fortune Magazine, which named him as one of the Top 10 innovators under the age of 40.

Related Topics:
Baseball Prospectus - Fortune Magazine

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He is married and has one son.

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