Giants tab Posey president of baseball operations

SAN FRANCISCO>> The San Francisco Giants have hired former All-Star catcher Buster Posey as president of baseball operations and fired Farhan Zaidi.

Team chairman Greg Johnson made the announcement Monday after the Giants finished 80-82 in manager Bob Melvin’s first season — with one more victory than in 2023. San Francisco hasn’t reached the playoffs since winning the NL West in 2021.

The 37-year-old Posey joined the club’s ownership group in September 2022, less than a year after his retirement.

“As we look ahead, I’m excited to share that Buster Posey will now take on a greater role as the new president of baseball operations,” Johnson said.

Posey was a seven-time All-Star with a career .302 batting average. The 2012 NL MVP was selected fifth overall by San Francisco in the 2008 amateur draft out of Florida State.

Bloom to replace Mozeliak as Cardinals president

ST. LOUIS>> Chaim Bloom will replace longtime St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak after the 2025 season, the team’s CEO.

Bill DeWitt Jr. said Bloom will oversee a reset of the club’s player development system next season and then take over for Mozeliak, the second-longest-tenured head of a big league team’s baseball operations behind the Yankees’ Brian Cashman.

The Cardinals, who finished the season 83-79 and missed the postseason for the second consecutive year, agreed to a five-year deal with Bloom. The 41-year-old worked for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2005 until he became Boston’s chief baseball officer in October 2019. He was fired in September 2023, then hired by the Cardinals as an adviser.

Ohtani tops jersey sales

NEW YORK>> Shohei Ohtani topped Major League Baseball jersey sales for the second straight season while becoming the first player to reach 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same year. The Los Angeles Dodgers star was followed by Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts.

Eto’o banned for 6 months

ZURICH>> Cameroon soccer great Samuel Eto’o was banned by FIFA from attending any national team games for six months. Eto’o has been president of the Cameroon soccer federation since 2021. He faced two charges from an incident at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia on Sept. 11. FIFA did not specify details of what happened, but said Eto’o broke rules relating to “offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play” and misconduct of officials.

Sinner and Alcaraz through to China Open semifinals

BEIJING>> Top-ranked Jannik Sinner moved into the semifinals of the China Open with a 6-2, 7-6 (6) victory over Jiri Lehecka. Third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the semifinals for the second straight year after an impressive 7-5, 6-2 victory against Karen Khachanov. Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev after the fifth-ranked Russian beat Flavio Cobolli of Italy 6-2, 6-4.

Purdue fires o-coordinator

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.>> Purdue coach Ryan Walters fired his offensive coordinator, Graham Harrell, four games into their second season together with the Boilermakers. The Boilermakers have lost three straight games since posting their only win against FCS school Indiana State.