12/21/24
December 02, 2006
Bonds not offered Arbitration: Who is Barry going to play for next year? My guess is an American league contender, possibly the Yankees
I still think he'll be back with the Giants. It's the only park where he still gets any love, he likes it there, and anywhere else he'd be little more than a fading sideshow, and he knows it.
posted by chicobangs at 09:39 AM on December 02, 2006
It's worth noting that the Giants also declined to offer arbitration to Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz and then promptly resigned them as free agents, so it's not like the Giants are out of the running here. I'm with chico here; I think he ends up back with the Giants. If he does go to an AL team, my guess is the Angels or the A's (if with the latter, it would likely have to be on an incentive-laden deal).
posted by holden at 10:02 AM on December 02, 2006
There had been rumors of Bonds coming to Detroit, due in large part to his history with Leyland. Thankfully, the Sheffield trade has made that much more unlikely and I highly doubt Bonds will end up in Detroit (thank the lord). I agree with what was said above in that Bonds will probably return to the Giants.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 10:37 AM on December 02, 2006
Listening to ESPN, they have everyone and their brother it seems going to Boston possibly. If they're not successful signing Masuzaka, they have Boston going after Zito, and also dealing Manny, bringing in Drew, and possibly showing interest in Bonds. I guess Bonds could give them a year in left field, but I don't see the guy being healthy enough to play the entire year in the field. Plus, any team that brings him on board will have to want to deal with all the hoopla, controversy, and (sometimes negative) attention he brings with his act. It's kind of hard to believe how the game has changed. Could you imagine, back in the day, a team being unwilling to bring Hank Aaron to their team if he was available the year before he was going to pass Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list? It would have been like a dream-come-true for an organization.
posted by dyams at 11:44 AM on December 02, 2006
I guess Bonds could give them a year in left field That's pretty hard to believe. Bonds in the past has called boston a city of racist.
posted by justgary at 12:05 PM on December 02, 2006
This is just the opportunity I've been looking for to gripe about the new CBA. In the past, the arbitration deadline was winter's version of the trade deadline. (Well, technically "autumn's version," but when there's no baseball it feels like winter.) If you were going to bring your own player back, you either a) had to sign him before the deadline or b) make the dreaded decision about offering him arbitration. And then there was the whole game where, if you had no intention of bringing him back but you wanted to get draft picks if another team signed him, you rolled the dice and offered him arbitration in the hope that he would reject the arbitration offer and eventually sign with someone else. With the new CBA, that deadline has had all the drama taken out of it. This year particularly there are a lot of players out there who would have been difficult decisions for their teams, and there would have been a lot of nail biting going into last night's deadline. This change is not good for the fans. Or at least me. I loved it the year the Phillies had no place to put Placido Polanco, but they offered him arbitration to get the draft picks and he accepted. I wish I could have seen Ed Wade's face when he got that great news. There was an awful lot of stammering and feet shuffling at that presser.
posted by BullpenPro at 12:45 PM on December 02, 2006
Bonds will go to Anaheim or Oakland to finish off his tainted career. If someone can land him for around $5-7 mil, it will be a good pickup.
posted by yay-yo at 01:53 PM on December 02, 2006
Whoever he plays for are they going to have to offer him a prescription drug program as one of his benefits? You know, like a $5 co-pay? Or will he still have to keep using his BALCO card?
posted by commander cody at 04:38 PM on December 02, 2006
If he's not a Giant, I think he's an A. I don't see any scenario where he leaves the Bay area. It's the last place where he has any positive cache.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:52 PM on December 02, 2006
5-7 million? He'll get at least 12, probably 15. You're damn right 5-7 would be a hell of a deal. I didn't know that about the new CBA. I guess it's better for the teams, but BPP is right, kind of takes all the drama away. It was smart not to offer him the arbitration though, because even after a bad year I'm sure he would've been awarded 20m or so based on his previous salaries.
posted by Bernreuther at 05:35 PM on December 02, 2006
Bonds won't play for incentives so the A's are out. He won't play for Boston because he thinks they're all racists (which, ironically, makes him a racist or, at the very least, a stereotypist), he won't go to New York because they don't need him. I don't know where he goes, he's got so much baggage and is a liability in the field now but he is one hell of a gate draw. Until he breaks the record, sorry if he breaks the record. I kind of hope the Giants let him go so they can add some youth to the team, they looked old, slow and ineffective after the All-Star Break last season. But then, I would like to see him break the record in San Francisco. But not for $12 million or even $10 million.
posted by fenriq at 07:30 PM on December 02, 2006
Bonds said that he wanted to stay on the West Coast. That he wanted to be close to his son so that rules out all East Coast teams and some west coast team. 2nd people sometimes forget that Bonds is one of the most feared hitters in Major League Baseball.
posted by msusportsguy at 08:53 PM on December 02, 2006
Well, 2nd basemen can be forgetful. Chuck Knoblauch and Steve Sax even forgot how to throw.
posted by BullpenPro at 08:58 PM on December 02, 2006
If he doesn't stay in SF, who else will want him for the money he'll demand? With his health, he can't be depended on to contribute to any team, even as a DH. Could he rebound physically and have a "comeback" season? Maybe. Is it likely? Nope. The biggest reason to sign him is the publicity when (or should I say "if"?) he breaks the record. If his health isn't a total disaster, he probably will break it, so the question is whether his new team will get several million dollars worth of good publicity or not.
posted by ctal1999 at 09:53 PM on December 02, 2006
2nd people sometimes forget that Bonds is one of the most feared hitters in Major League Baseball. Roid rage is frightening.
posted by budman13 at 10:43 PM on December 02, 2006
Isn't this about the time in the story when Baltimore stands up and pulls out its checkbook?
posted by diastematic at 11:16 PM on December 02, 2006
With his health, he can't be depended on to contribute to any team, even as a DH. Could he rebound physically and have a "comeback" season? In 2006, Bonds had 493 plate appearances and ended up with a .999 OPS. Here are the list of players in all of MLB that had at least that many PA and had an OPS higher than him: Albert Pujols Travis Hafner Ryan Howard Manny Ramirez David Ortiz Lance Berkman Jim Thome Jermaine Dye That's it. Granted, it's the first season his OPS has been below 1.000 in 15 years, but I think it's pretty safe to say that he contributed last year, and there really isn't that much room to "rebound". Even if he drops 10% of his value (which is quite a large fall) and plays 130 games (assuming the DH position balances out the aging process a bit), he'd be contributing more (with the bat) than this guy did in 2006, and that guy is going to get about $16million in 2007.
posted by grum@work at 12:22 AM on December 03, 2006
This, from the article: "San Francisco's decision not to offer Barry arbitration speaks volumes of their true intentions to have him back in a Giants uniform for the 2007 season," said Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris. is probably not really accurate. I think there are several possible scenarios at work here: A) The Giants have every intention of bringing Bonds back, and know that his strong preference is to stay (and face the devil he knows), and they know from other teams that there is no strong interest in him out there. So, they figure they can bring him back at a bargain price, but arbitration would hamstring their ability to sign him at below market value. Which I think is a strong possibility. or B) The Giants have an interest in bringing Bonds back, but only as their Plan B if they continue to fail to sign a better alternative. Offering arbitration would unnecessarily lock them in with Bonds. or C) The Giants want Bonds back, but feel that confirming his return this early may scare away other prospective free agents who might lean against playing under the tent of that particular circus if they knew that circus was definitely going to be in town. Of course, it's possible that the Giants didn't offer arbitration because they don't want him back, and either don't think any other team wants him either (unlikely), or are willing to forgo the free agent picks in order to ensure that he will not return. I doubt this, though. My guess is that Bonds is still on the Giants shopping list, and they're just trying to strengthen their bargaining position by keeping arbitration out of the picture.
posted by BullpenPro at 01:02 AM on December 03, 2006
It seems as if he'll remain a Giant unless some team decides to make a foolish offer. In a perfect world he'd go back to Pittsburgh for one last year, where it all began, and put some fans in the seats at PNC. Bat him ahead of Jason Bay, and (depending on his health) he'll probably see some pitches to hit, walk a ton of times, help inflate Bay's stats, and get enough homers to pass Aaron and retire. And, yes, I know the Pirates could never afford it.
posted by dyams at 08:46 AM on December 03, 2006
Boy his career sure has been going downhill fast since he can't get the good 'roids anymore. I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with injuries, or the fact he's now 42 years old. Athletes of all sorts tend to start losing it quite quickly when they reach that age, don't 'ya think? Face the facts that although steroids obviously "pumped up" Bonds' power stats the last several years, he was one of the game's best players, period, long before that. That's what separates him from Mark McGwire, who was a power hitter, primarily due to performance enhancers, and nothing else. The rest of his game was non-existent. Barry had the speed, hit for average, and won the gold gloves. It's just too bad that wasn't enough for him. For the record, McGwire should have never been allowed to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot. Bonds will be a much tougher call.
posted by dyams at 11:28 AM on December 03, 2006
I'll say he goes to the Mexican League. Much easier to get steroids down there, and none of those annoying drug tests. "It's just too bad that wasn't enough for him." I totally agree dyams!! I saw Barry play as a Sun-Devil in the College World Series. No one was more exciting and that continued into his early Major League career. He has said that enhancers never effected his skills, but what he will probably never see is that they have and will forever effect his legacy. He will probably go into the hall- and be the first member booed at the induction ceremony!!!
posted by pcbenedict at 07:52 PM on December 03, 2006
Dyams, You can not be from Pittsburgh and if you are you must be drunk or high. Barry would NEVER go back to the pirates. While many people around the country hate Barry guts, The City of Pittsburgh despises him. He would be Booed and hated more than ever before. He would not draw PNC crowds unless the had throw stuff at Barry night as a promotion. Plus we suck so he wouldn't want to play here even more.
posted by Debo270 at 09:30 AM on December 04, 2006
Plus we suck so he wouldn't want to play here even more. That's probably the biggest reason. Not that it is a Pittsburgh-only thing, but he wants to win a World Series ring, and teams like Kansas City and Pittsburgh are pretty far away from helping him get one.
posted by grum@work at 11:24 AM on December 04, 2006
My crystal ball says he'll be back as a Giant for around $10 million. Magowan et al know that Barry fills seats but dont wanna blow their wad on him - hence the Manny rumors, arbitration, etc.
posted by JohnSFO at 06:47 PM on December 04, 2006
I think he's cocky enough to want to set the record as a position player. I don't see him signing with american league team to play as a DH. Actually, I would respect the record a little more if it did come from a non-DH.
posted by louisville_slugger at 07:02 PM on December 04, 2006
And do what for the Yankees? They already have a DH, and three OFs. A couple months ago, they had an extra DH/OF type, they traded him to the Tigers for a bag of prospects. Why pick up another who is controversial and certainly not the most amicable guy?