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The San Francisco Giants made their first deal of the offseason, signing Gold Glove Award winner Patrick Bailey several months before the MLB trade deadline. Amid rumors flying about other potential deals, questions have also been raised about the job security of president of baseball operations Buster Posey.

FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray reported that Posey is “in no danger” of being fired by San Francisco. In fact, he is viewed as potentially “the most unstoppable executive in baseball” because of what he accomplished during his playing career.

RELATED: Insider debunks MLB rumors about SF Giants trade stance

During Posey’s playing career with the Giants, he earned seven All-Star selections along with NL MVP (2012) and a Gold Glove Award (2016). The future Hall of Famer also played an integral role in the franchise becoming MLB’s dynasty in the 2010s, winning three World Series titles.

After joining the ownership group in 2022, Posey was named president of baseball operations of the Giants in 2024. The 38-year-old is one of the youngest executives in MLB and is still likely to be adjusting to a learning curve just a few years into the role.

RELATED: SF Giants reportedly have bold MLB Draft strategy

Will the Giants fire Tony Vitello?

It is not surprising that Posey’s history with the Giants organization provides him with additional job security. What is notable, however, is that Murray reports that San Francisco captain Tony Vitello is considered safe. At present it seems that the organization wants to give him more time.

Vitello, age 47, entered the weekend with a 15–24 record as the Giants manager. The club has been one of the biggest disappointments in MLB, and Vitello has made strange comments to reporters that have created unnecessary headlines, with the first-year captain’s lack of experience working in pro ball being criticized.

RELATED: MLB Power Rankings Week 7, see where the Giants land

One possibility that could still exist at the end of the season would be Vitello returning to Tennessee, essentially to save face for both parties. Vitello posted three seasons with over 50 wins (2021, 2022 and ’24) as captain of the Volunteers baseball program, along with two SEC titles (2022 and ’24) and the first-ever national championship in 2024.

Without Vitello, the Volunteers have a .500 record in SEC play and are set to finish the season with more than 20 losses for the first time since 2023. Returning to Tennessee could allow Vitello to return to a position where he can succeed, while the Giants can learn from their mistake in the recruiting process and target an experienced captain for next season.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The San Diego Padres have been gradually shedding salaries in recent years, but have still managed to win over 90 games in consecutive seasons and make the playoffs. While the club has gotten off to a strong start this season, it appears that President of Baseball Operations AJ Preller may not be safe.

Dennis Lynn of The Athletic wrote that Preller’s future as Padres general manager is uncertain due to the franchise currently being for sale. While he expects the top MLB executive to finish the season in San Diego, a new owner could come in and replace him at the end of the year.

“Preller’s future beyond 2026 remains uncertain. No one directly involved would confirm the terms of his recent extension, but most indications are that he is now under contract until 2028. If a billionaire owner wanted to choose his own general manager, moving on from Preller would represent a relatively small expense.

Dennis Lynn of The Athletic’s GM AJ Preller on the future of the San Diego Padres

RELATED: San Diego Padres expected to sell for historic price

Preller joined the Padres organization as general manager in August 2014, giving him the opportunity to rebuild the franchise after spending more than a decade with the Texas Rangers. With the support of then-owner Peter Seidler, San Diego spent more money on its team than ever before and emerged as a perennial contender.

It bore fruit in recent years. From 2020–25, the Padres compiled a 470–400 record in the regular season, made the playoffs four times and posted a winning record in five of the six seasons. However, since Seidler’s demise, the club has continually worked to reduce the payroll.

For groups interested in purchasing the Padres, whose money largely comes from venture capitalists and private equity, the choice may come down to prioritizing revenue over on-field results. The same has happened with the Boston Red Sox under Fenway Sports Group in recent years.

If this proves to be the case, the new ownership may decide that Preller’s way of building the team is not the most cost-effective option and instead replace him with someone who can build a more financially favorable roster that maximizes revenue. If that happens, Preller will be one of the most sought-after guys in baseball this winter.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 124–116 for their seventh consecutive win. It was also the Lakers’ second win against the Rockets in three days, giving them a tiebreaker in the battle for the No. 3 seed. According to LA sports reporter Law Murray, after the win over the Rockets, the Lakers have now won the tiebreaker against all of their closest Western Conference opponents.

“The Lakers should be the 3rd seed in the West and a trip to the semifinals. This season they have all the relevant tiebreakers – 2-1 vs. Rockets (can only play three quarters) – 2-1 vs. Nuggets (lost in Memphis) – 3-0 vs. Timberwolves (ant knee),” Law posted on X.

The Lakers swept a two-game set in Houston this week. Remarkably, this was a huge turnaround after their poor performance against the Rockets on Christmas Day. The win gave Los Angeles a 1.5-game lead over the Timberwolves with a 44–25 record. They also hold a 2.5 game lead over the Rockets.

As the final stretch of the regular season approaches, the Lakers are hitting their stride. Currently, the No. 3 seed appears to be the goal as they trail the San Antonio Spurs by seven games with 13 games remaining. Because of this, if the Lakers continue to win they will likely start the playoffs as the No. 3 seed.

These two wins were a major achievement in the playoff preview between the Lakers and the Rockets. If the teams meet again, it could turn out to be one of the best series of the playoffs.

Sacramento Kings star point guard Russell Westbrook always plays at 100 mph.

During the first quarter of Sacramento’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum in Memphis, the former NBA Most Valuable Player’s offensive play claimed a victim in the form of a Flor Bear.

While bringing the ball up the court, Westbrook was hit by Memphis guard Scottie Pippen Jr. and fouled. This sent Westbrook to the sideline, where he inadvertently stepped on a drink (probably beer). The sheer force of Westbrook’s speed caused the drink to spill over him and onto the floor, delaying the game as it took some time to clean up the mess on the court.

Meanwhile, Westbrook took a seat at courtside as things settled down. He can also be seen asking for a towel to wipe the drink from his body.

Russell Westbrook spikes courtside fan’s drink at Kings-Grizzlies 💦😭pic.twitter.com/ERpobw8ZdE

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 24 February 2026

Symbolically speaking, that drink could represent the type of season Westbrook and the Kings are having. Sacramento has been consistently pursued by teams heading into the 2025-26 NBA campaign.

In fact, the Kings entered Monday on a terrible losing streak, as they have lost 16 consecutive games. With a 12-46 record heading into Grizzlies games, the Kings are the worst team in the league at the moment based on the standings.

However, Sacramento’s record won’t be a factor in how the 37-year-old Westbrook, who is signing a one-year deal with the Kings, performs in every game, as he can be expected to continue playing like everything is on the line.