Who Gives This Guy $16 Mil.?
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by user Chachi
It has been reported that Barry Bonds and the Giants have come to terms on a one-year 16 million dollar contract. Also, the contract reportedly comes with enough incentive clauses to make the deal worth $20 million. WHAT? $20 million dollars for a 42 year-old player who hit .270 with 26 homers and 77 RBI. Am I missing something here? Did I not see the same deteriorating, brokendown player last year as everybody else?
Bonds' base pay of $16 million alone seems excessive to me. In 2006 that would have made him the 10th highest paid player in the league. If he hits all of his incentives and makes it to $20 million he would have been the 4th highest paid player. Call me crazy, but paying $16 to $20 million dollars for a guy whose batting average didn't crack the top 100 in MLB last year, whose RBI ranked 90th, and whose HR ranked 45th seems a little like overkill. Yes he ranked second in walks and first in on base percentage, but that's because there was nobody else that could hit for power in the Giants' lineup every week. Why pitch to the one guy on the team that could even possibly take you deep? I think this year we will see a considerably higher amount of pitchers going after Bonds instead of pitching around him.
The only logical explanation I can think of for the Giants to pull the trigger on this deal is this: they're desperate! Jason Schmidt has just bolted town, they couldn't pull of any big name free agent signings, and the deal for Manny being Manny had fallen apart. They had to do something to keep their team relevant and to keep fans coming to the park. So, why not overpay for the most controversial figure in your sport? Heck, if that was their logic then I can understand. If they needed the sideshow that is Barry to cover up the fact that the team is pretty weak then I get it. But if they paid Bonds that much because they think as a ballplayer he is worth it, then Brian Sabean needs his head examined.
