In a surprising move, baseball executive Paul DePodesta left his postilion with the New York Mets to join the Cleveland Browns organization, the team confirmed Tuesday.
DePodesta will be the team's chief strategy officer, where he will be responsible for assessing and implementing best practices and strategies.
“We are fortunate to bring in Paul, an extremely talented, highly respected sports executive who will add a critical dimension to our front office,” said owner Jimmy Haslam. “His approach and ambition to find the best pathways for organizational success transcend one specific sport and his experience as a high level sports executive make him a terrific addition to the Cleveland Browns."
DePodesta has a strong baseball background, most recently working as the vice president of player development for the Mets. But he's no stranger to Cleveland—DePodesta worked with the Cleveland Indians in the 1990s.
Hiring a baseball executive for a professional football team might raise some eyebrows but DePodesta's forte is analytics. The Harvard graduate, in part, uses math to see who helps teams win. It's a strategy that's been applied in a variety of professional sports.
Movie fans might recognize DePodesta's name from the movie Moneyball. In the movie, which centers on sports analytics, Jonah Hill's character was loosely based on DePodesta.
The Mets released this statement from General Manager Sandy Alderson:
Paul completely reorganized the Mets scouting and player development functions and had an extraordinary impact in both areas, but he was also very involved in our trade and free agent acquisitions. His commitment to excellence and his passion for innovation will be missed by the Mets and all of baseball. I wish him well with the Browns.
