TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Rays Say They Aren't Pursuing Barry Bonds

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 26, 2008

Updated: 02/26/2008 05:00 am

ST. PETERSBURG - There are no indications the Rays are seriously considering signing embattled home run king Barry Bonds, though team officials have thrown his name around when talking among themselves.

Of course, they also have chatted about Kenny Lofton, Kyle Lohse and most of the other free agents who remain unsigned. As one team official put it Monday, if the Rays weren't discussing all of those options, they wouldn't be doing their jobs. But any suggestion Bonds might join the Rays, fueled by a published report Monday, would be erroneous, according to people familiar with the discussions.

"It's a non-story," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said through team spokesman Rick Vaughn.

Friedman wouldn't comment further, other than to reiterate the team's policy of not speaking publicly about players outside the organization. Why not deny any interest in Bonds if that is in fact the team's stance? As the thinking goes, if the Rays deny this one but revert to their traditional no-comment policy with the next rumored name, people might infer that there is interest there because the team didn't specifically deny it.

So the notion was left to circulate. Invited to speculate on Bonds' potential impact, players around the clubhouse agreed he would make the Rays' lineup more formidable. That's a safe bet considering the 43-year-old's power and ability to get on base, but Bonds wouldn't seem to be a logical fit on several other fronts.

The Rays have taken care to remake their clubhouse over the winter, and adding perhaps the biggest distraction in the game wouldn't appear to dovetail with the emphasis on accountability Friedman and Manager Joe Maddon have tried to instill.

When asked about Bonds after Monday's workout, Maddon implied that he wasn't interested in the potential disruption of clubhouse chemistry such an acquisition might entail.

"I'm very happy with what's going on right now," he said.

Maddon also has plenty of options in hand to serve as the DH. Placed in that role regularly, Bonds probably would out-produce Cliff Floyd, Jonny Gomes and Rocco Baldelli, but it's far from an area of need for the Rays.

There's also the matter of how much it would cost. Bonds earned nearly $20 million last season, and even if the Rays wanted to pony up $15 million or so for one year, the addition would hardly make them favorites to ascend to the playoffs. Even Bonds' value as a gate attraction is debatable, considering there is no more home run record to chase.

The bottom line, according to the Rays, is that Bonds was just another name bandied about - albeit a big one.

"It was a minor discussion, it was thrown out there a little bit and it's really not gone any further than that," Maddon said. "That's all it is right now."

INTRASQUAD NOTES: Several high-profile position players will sit out today's 11 a.m. intrasquad game.

Maddon said Baldelli, Floyd, Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and Dioner Navarro will not play in today's seven-inning game but will be in the lineup for Wednesday morning's contest.

FORE! Monday's charity golf tournament raised approximately $100,000 for the Rays Baseball Foundation. The winning team consisted of TV analyst Joe Magrane, coach Tim Bogar, doctors Larry Williams and Joe Boulay and Mike Vandiver. RHP Chad Orvella had the longest drive at 340 yards and Maddon won the closest-to-the-pin competition.

NOTEWORTHY: Joel Guzman is expected to report to camp today and Willy Aybar on Wednesday after their visa issues were resolved. Juan Salas remains in the Dominican Republic. ... The Rays agreed to terms on one-year deals with Guzman, John Jaso, Jason Bartlett and Ben Zobrist. Six players remain unsigned.

Marc Lancaster

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT