Bonds No More Centerpiece of the Giants in 07
By Kris Lazaro (10/5/2006)
Barry Bonds is expected to play with the San Francisco Giants for next season. However owner Peter Magowan said the player will not be the centerpiece of the team any longer. He expressed his desire to move the team in a new direction. The club already announced that manager Felipe Alou's contract will not be renewed. To Magowan the team’s strategy consisting of having a great player at the centerpiece and filling in with veteran players is no more valid. The last two years performance is here consolidating his analysis.
The Giants have not less than eleven potential free agents and are still in the process of evaluating who will stay for the next season. Magowan clearly stated that the decision of keeping Barry will only depend on baseball evaluations, which is whether he will be able to give the team a better chance of winning or not, and not on marketing or financial potential revenues that the player may bring to the club.
Bonds’ contract, signed for five years and worth $90 million, has come to expiration this year. But the 42-year-old player would like to return to the Giants for a 15th season. 2007 would be his 22nd in the MLB. Bonds has 734 home runs, 22 from breaking Hank Aaron's career record of 755, and is eligible for free agency after the World Series. Bonds played only 14 games in 2005 due to three operations on his right knee. Thus Bonds batted .270 with 26 homers and 77 RBI in 367 at-bats in 2006.
Brian Sabean, general manager, announced that Bonds will require a cleanup surgery on his left elbow to remove bone chips. Bonds is expected to be operated this week. Mark Sweeney is also planned to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee soon and minor league pitcher Merkin Valdez had reconstructive "Tommy John" surgery on his elbow last week and won't pitch next season.
|