News / Sports
Barry Bonds Completes One-Year Deal with Giants
Barry Bonds completed a $15.8 million deal that will keep him a San Francisco Giant for one more year. While Bonds and the Giants had agreed on the financial aspect of the deal back on December 7, the game’s most prolific slugger still had to pass a physical and work out details surrounding legal matters connected with an ongoing investigation.
As part of the contract, the Giants will be protected if Bonds is indicted for his involvement in the ongoing BALCO case and is suspended by the league. San Francisco will not have to pay Bonds for the time he misses due to those circumstances.
San Francisco also barred Bonds’ personal trainers from the team’s clubhouse.
In a statement released by the Giants, President and Managing General Partner Peter Magowan said "The process of negotiating this contract was complex, lengthy and highly unconventional. We spent significant time evaluating all of the elements and circumstances surrounding the negotiations before we made a final determination to move forward. The agreement was finalized only after we achieved reasonable assurances and protections, and only after we were convinced that the Giants' players will be able to function as a team committed to supporting each other and dedicated to doing everything they can to succeed on the playing field."
Bonds said of the deal, "I knew things would work out. This is where I always wanted to play and always loved to play. The city of San Francisco is what I love. The people of San Francisco are who I love. There's no better place for me to be. This is my history. The people in San Francisco deserve it all."
The 42-year-old Bonds has collected a record seven NL MVP awards and now sits 22 home runs away from breaking Hank Aaron’s all time home run record of 755.
