Barry Bonds plans to test the free agent market — and soon.
The agent for the San Francisco Giants slugger said Friday that no negotiations have taken place about keeping his client with the team, and that Bonds will file for free agency the day after the World Series ends, the earliest allowed.
Barry Bonds needs 21 home runs to break Hank Aaron's all-time record.
(Associated Press)
"The only thing that would stop Barry from filing for free agency would be if a deal was in place from the Giants," Jeff Borris said. "Since there has been no dialogue up to this point, I have no reason to believe he would do anything but file for free agency."
Under baseball's new collective bargaining agreement, a five-year deal reached Tuesday night, players have more time to re-sign with their clubs.
The previous labour agreement mandated that if the Giants did not offer Bonds salary arbitration by Dec. 7, they would be unable to sign him until May 1. Now the team can reach a deal with the 42-year-old slugger even if it doesn't offer him arbitration by the new Dec. 1 deadline.
"I don't think it helps, but it doesn't hurt, either," Borris said.
After missing all but 14 games of an injury-plagued 2005 season, Bonds bounced back this year, batting .270 with a .454 on-base percentage and .545 slugging percentage in 130 games. His 26 home runs moved Bonds into second place on major league baseball's all-time list with 734, just 21 behind Hank Aaron's record.
With files from Associated Press
