The Oakland Athletics made the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 campaign and decided to keep the major pieces in place heading into the 2019 season.The A's announced they have agreed to long-term contract extensions with executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane Babe Ruth Jersey , general manager David Forst and manager Bob Melvin. Melvin has been the manager since he took over for the fired Bob Geren in 2011 and has helped lead the Athletics to the postseason four times during his tenure.Beane, who was famously portrayed by Brad Pitt in the movieMoneyball, became the Athletics general manager in 1997. He served in that role for 18 years before shifting to his current position and has overseen nine playoff appearances in the past 21 seasons. He is also a minority owner of the team.Forst took over as general manager after Beane moved toward baseball operations.Oakland was one of baseball's biggest surprises under the trio during the 2018 campaign after finishing in last place in the American League West the prior three years. The A's went 97-65 and reached the American League Wild Card Game, and Melvin is a candidate for AL Manager of the Year as a result."I'm proud of the tremendous success of our team under the leadership of Billy http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-dale-murphy-jersey , David and Bob and am excited to have that continue for years to come," owner John Fisher said, perJon Beckerof theMercury News.Susan Slusserof theSan Francisco Chroniclereported Melvin's contract extension will keep him in place through 2021 and make him one of the five highest-paid managers at around $3.5 million a year.The report also noted Forst's extension is through the 2023 campaign, while Beane is thought to be with the team indefinitely even though the exact specifications of the contract were unknown. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesSan Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is dealing with a hip injury but will continue to play for now.Manager Bruce Bochy said as much Freddie Freeman Jersey , per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Pavlovic noted the "Giants are confident he can鈥檛 do further damage by playing for now."This comes afterJohn Shea of theSan Francisco ChroniclenotedPosey "faces likely hip surgery that would cut short his season."Bochy revealed there have been discussions about the surgery when he said, per Shea: "I'll be honest with you. We have discussed that. We talked about it. Nothing's been determined yet. Because we want him ready for next year. We're discussing that now."Giants executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean said, "I'd say that that's a safe assumption," when asked about the surgery happening soon.Posey has served as a cornerstone piece of San Francisco's roster for nearly a decade. He's helped lead the franchise to three World Series titles http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-bobby-cox-jersey , was named the National League MVP in 2012 and leads all catchers in WAR since his 2009 debut, per FanGraphs.The 31-year-old Georgia native has also remained mostly durable despite the physically demanding position. He entered 2018 having played at least 140 games in six straight seasons. He missed this year's All-Star Game while recovering from thehip injury, though.Nick Hundley will slide into the starting lineup and figures to receive the lion's share of the playing time behind the dish.Ultimately, the Giants are going to need a late-season surge to earn a playoff berth in the National League. Being without Posey for any type of extended period would be a major blow to those efforts given his all-around on-field contributions and clubhouse leadership.