|
AVAILABLE: One (1) left fielder/designated hitter. Holds lifetime home run record. Gets on base at a rate surpassed only by Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. Once was intentionally walked with no one on base. Slightly surly. Mentioned in Mitchell report.
Any takers?
So far, no dice. Barry Bonds, perhaps the greatest player of all time, is without a job halfway through spring training. It doesn't seem as though any team is eager to give him one.
Teams may be wary of taking on Bonds because of the extraneous factors he brings with him. You may be getting the ludicrous on-base percentage and frightening power, but you're also getting the whole Barry Bonds experience--entourages, extra employees, difficult relationships with the press. We haven't even mentioned his rather extensive salary demands.
Would you want your favorite team to give Bonds one more shot? Cast your vote now!
We've collected a sample of what writers, bloggers, and players themselves have said this offseason about Barry Bonds' unusually-extended job search. For this issue, we've chosen ESPN's Jayson Stark, the San Francisco Chronicle's Bruce Jenkins and Detroit Tigers closer Todd Jones, from The Sporting News:
Jayson Stark: "Here's the only reason Barry Bonds makes any sense in Tampa Bay: .480/.565/1.045.
"That, of course, is Bonds' stat line last season as a Giant. And in the history of the Don't Call Us The Devil Rays franchise, they've never had anyone who came within 69 points of Bonds' .480 on-base percentage last year. And only Carlos Pena (.627 slugging percentage, 1.037 OPS last year) ever beat Bonds' 2007 slugging or OPS numbers.
"But now that we've got that out of the way, here's why this can't possibly happen:
"The Rays spent their entire offseason trying to weed out the troublemakers (exit Elijah Dukes and Delmon Young) and bringing in veteran role models and mentors (enter Troy Percival and Cliff Floyd). And remember those on-field Joke of the Day sessions and Closest to the Pin golf-shot duels I mentioned in Monday's edition of Three Strikes? They were all about team-building. And whatever Barry might bring the Rays in baseball attributes, team-building isn't quite the specialty of his house. "
Feb. 27, 2008
Three Strikes: Wednesday Edition
Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle: "Nothing could be more tedious than spelling out all the negatives, but there's an additional one in the Mets' case. Down in the wretched bowels of Shea Stadium, the Mets' clubhouse is an economy-sized relic from another era. No problem next year - the unveiling of Citi Field brings the modern age to Queens - but in a room full of high-voltage personalities and pervasive media, Bonds' presence might make the whole place explode.
"Still, there is no substitute for relevance, especially for a franchise in constant competition with the crosstown Yankees. Bonds brings headlines, glamour and the three-run homer, to say nothing of gloom, rudeness and sordid associations - all your favorite New York things. If will be fascinating to see if desperation trumps common sense."
March 8, 2008
Only desperation can create a spot for Bonds
Todd Jones, The Sporting News: "Now let me be clear. Every team has probably thought about signing Bonds. After all, this industry has proved that as long as you can play, teams will look the other way when it comes to off-the-field stuff. The reason I believe Bonds hasn't signed is because teams don't know how many games he would play. Those perjury charges aren't going away, and that has clubs handcuffed .
"The club that signs him would be putting a big stamp on its organization. It's still to be determined whether that would be a good stamp for forward thinking or a bad stamp for showing an unhealthy concern about the bottom line.
"I'm not sure what the answer is, but it's an issue worth chewing on."
March 6, 2008
Someone should sign Barry Bonds*
Barry Bonds, 2007: .276 BA, .480 OBP, .565 SLG, 170 OPS+, 28 HR, 132 BB
Average National League left fielder, 2007: .278 BA, .358 OBP, .478 SLG, 120 OPS+, 26 HR, 72 BB
Average American League left fielder, 2007: .275 BA, .335 OBP, .426 SLG, 100 OPS+, 17 HR, 53 BB
Average American League designated hitter, 2007: .268 BA, .355 OBP, .447 SLG, 111 OPS+, 23 HR, 75 BB
