Barry Bonds Belly Up
Lots of baseball news!
The Yankees are about to sign A-Rod for 10 years and 270/280 million.
The timing of the reconciliation is intriguing, coming the day after open negotiations began for free agents. No other team had come forward as an aggressive pursuer of Rodriguez. Yet the Yankees made sure to all but lock him up before other teams could realistically make a strong push.Boras is famous for negotiating massive contracts, but even with the bonus package, this deal will fall short of the 12-year, $350 million contract the Yankees believed Boras sought last month.
Meanwhile, Mariano Rivera is holding out for a fourth contract year. The Yanks have offered three years at $45 million. I think no on this one; Rivera has shown signs that he isn't the pitcher he once was, and giving a 38-year-old reliever four years and some $60 million is too much.
Also, the Yankees might sign Mike Lowell and move him to first. Hah! I kind of like that. Except I don't think Lowell will hit particularly well in Yankee Stadium. He owes his career year to the Green Monster.
Oh, and
Barry Bonds got indicted.
Barry Bonds, baseball’s career home run leader, was indicted yesterday on five felony charges — four for perjury and one for obstruction of justice — for testifying before a federal grand jury in 2003 that he never used anabolic steroids or human growth hormone.
This is going to be ugly, but I think it's important; baseball is going to have to really deal with the steroid era before it can move on.
Also, Barry Bonds is really not a very good role model, which I know is an old-fashioned thing to say, but it's true. I've always been amazed to see how the otherwise rational people of San Francisco continue to support him....
