Whew, perhaps I was better off waiting to write on his Barry-ness. :^) But still, I think most of holds still.
However, the contract reminds me of the last one: Barry-ian Roulette. Will this be the year he gets indicted? Will this be the year he gets lousy (see Willie Mays last seasons)? Will this be the year he gets injured, again, and miss significant time? The chambers were empty last time, except for 2005. Do you feel lucky, punk?
Contract Details
The reports are that he signed for $16M base and $4M in "performance bonuses". I guess the Giants had to change the name from "incentives" because Barry said he wouldn't sign a contract with those in there and this would save him face so that he won't look like he backed down from his stand.
Looks like the Giants backed down, though. After pursuing all these different free agents with megadeals, and striking out, I guess they felt that they had to sign Bonds to a big contract, partly because they needed his bat, partly because he would be one grouchy SOB in the clubhouse if they signed him for what his market price was, which was not that much. The previous rumor had the Giants offer at around $7-9M ("half of Bonds's demands, which I had seen ranging from $14M to $18M) with incentives that could bring his salary up to his previous salary.
I'm disappointed that they caved, but not surprised, they have not been the smartest of organizations to know when they have the negotiating edge against the other team or player. I think it would be easily worth 1,000 times the cost of the classes if Magowan would just send all of their management personnel to Harvard and have them take the negotiation skills classes and get a certificate in that.
Barry's Back Home: Welcome Back!
But that's past now, what's done is done (just like Feliz), and now we need to just accept that he's here and move on. As I speculated, I think he makes our lineup competitive now: Roberts/Winn, Vizquel, Winn/Linden, Bonds, Durham, Molina, Aurilia, Feliz. I know most won't agree but I'm not saying it is going to be world beating either, just competitive. I'll cover that in a little more detail soon then in excruciating detail in the spring, once we know what we will look like going into Opening Day.
So welcome back Barry, I hope you earn all your performance bonuses and pass Hank Aaron for the career HR mark during the season, in what hopefully is your last season, just retire while you are near your top. Given how well he played in the second half - .292/.430/.596/1.026 with 14 HR in 178 AB (ironically lower OBP though) - he should have a better year overall in 2007 vs. 2006 if he can keep it up AND stay healthy.
Hello Martin. I must say I was extremely surprised at the $16 million. I thought it would be $14 mil. E on McC Chrons posted a thread about the Giants not being able to attract FAs. I wonder if paying Bonds fairly - despite what they could have probably forced on him - isn't fair and decent and will pay dividends in the long run. Actual benefits beyond just Bonds not being pissed off.
ReplyDeleteI still am amazed some team wouldn't want him. Media circus? Isn't that what it's about? Isn't the world series a media circus. Steve Kline was just talking about how great it is to play in SF because the stands are full every night.
I also don't think Barry would have signed if his winter conditioning program weren't going well. I don't think he'd come back to have a year like Mays' last year. And I think he'll know when he's lost it.
The Giants couldn't very well pay Bonds too much less than they offered the lard-ass who will be a statue in left field for the Astros $18.6 million for 6 years. They had to pay Bonds something near what he was worth based on his production.
ReplyDeleteComment on the negotiation skills - you remind of an HR manager I know bragging about bringing in people to a project I worked on at well below market rates. It costs a ton to train them and those that were good left as soon as they had another offer and those that weren't, well they were worthless so they were overpaid. Underpaying Barry just wouldn't have been smart for a myriad of reasons.
Bonds' OBP sank last half last year because Ray Durham was killing the ball with men on. Hopefully, it would be the same next season.
Media circus for the World Series is one thing, it is a happy occassion (until you lose or fall far behind).
ReplyDeleteBonds would be an unhappy intrusion on the clubhouse, players will hear innate questions being asked over and over again about Bonds this and Bonds that and soon they might wish that Bonds would go away.
I'm not talking about Mays last years, I'm talking about his years from, like, 37 to 42, where he was a shadow of his former self and watched Aaron pass him up like he was standing.
And the Giants were willing to pay Bonds something near what he was worth based on his production: they offered about $7-9M with incentives to bring it up to $18M or so. The problem is that if Bonds bangs his knee again in February and is out for surgery and recovery for the first 5 months of the season, you won't be thinking that 14 games worth of playing is worth $16M.
See, that's what I mean again, people think I'm talking about underpaying Bonds, what does it take to get this through people's head or what can I do to get people to read more closely: I WANT TO PAY HIM FOR WHAT HE PRODUCES, IF HE PLAYS 162 GAMES AND HITS 79 HOMERS I'LL PAY FOR THAT, BUT IF HE PLAYS 14 GAMES, I DON'T WANT TO BE PAYING $16M FOR THAT, I'M ONLY WILLING TO RISK $7-9M ON THAT.
Whew, that felt good! :^)
Good point on the OBP, though, I didn't think about that. Yes, hopefully it would be the same again.
How much exactly would you pay for 79 home runs?
ReplyDeleteWhat a completely schizophrenic, hate-rant by Jenkins in the Chron this, Saturday morning). It is amazing to me that someone can be paid to vent their spleen, to use completely dishonest and misleading arguments to express their own twisted personal interests.
ReplyDeleteHey Martin: Great insights as of late. Yeah, very nice to have him back. Maybe, just maybe, Barry will surprise us and (on his own terms of course) start selectively taking to "the media" as he approaches the record. (Why not talk to someone like Gammons, someone who clearly loves baseball and who hasn't judged him.)
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that he's a very intelligent man--petulant, insecure, cranky, sure, but I haven't walked a mile in his shoes--and that he understands what this (i.e. "the" record) means. Even if he's defiant, I'd like to see him open up some and force baseball writers (some at least) to reexamine their assault on his name. Just hoping...and frankly, I think that we'll see him speak more publically.
Kent