Barry Bonds’ contract with the San Francisco Giants isn’t final just yet.
After the commissioner’s office rejected Bonds’ $15.8 million, one-year deal because it contained a personal-appearance provision, the team sent revised documents to his agent, Jeff Borris.
“At this time, Barry is not signing the new documents,” Borris said Wednesday.
Baseball’s Uniform Player Contract states a player “agrees to cooperate with the club in any and all reasonable promotional activities.” Bonds’ contract had additional language the commissioner’s office rejected.
Borris did not detail the provisions in dispute, but a baseball executive, speaking on condition of anonymity because these details had not been made public, said they dealt with personal appearances.
After several disputes, lawyers for the union and the commissioner’s office agreed last fall that no additional appearance provisions would be accepted in player contracts.
It was not clear whether Bonds must sign a new contract or whether the one he signed would be accepted with the troublesome language eliminated.
Astros: Roger Clemens talked about his plight and laughed.
“I’m failing at retirement,” he said. “Let’s just face it. I’m failing miserably at it.”
The 44-year-old right-hander, unsure whether to retire or return for a 24th major-league season, was the keynote speaker for the St. John’s winter baseball banquet in New York.
If he does pitch – and it sounds as if he will – Clemens will choose among his hometown Astros, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
“I think if it wasn’t for more than a handful of phone calls from my teammates, not only my teammates here, but in Houston and the guys in Boston, I don’t think I’d take it to heart as much,” he said. “It would be real easy to step away and be done with it.”
Cubs: Right-hander Mark Prior and Chicago avoided salary arbitration by agreeing on a one-year deal. Prior will get $3,575,000 and would earn an additional $150,000 each for making 27 and 30 starts.
Once considered a Cubs’ ace of the future, Prior, 26, has won just 18 games the past three seasons while battling injuries. Prior made $3.65 million last season, when he was bothered by an ailing shoulder and went 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA in nine starts.
Yankees: New York has offered former all-star outfielder Bernie Williams a minor- league contract and an invitation to spring training.
“I’m waiting to hear from Bernie,” Williams’ agent, Scott Boras, said. “Once I talk to him, he’ll let me know what he’s thinking.”
Williams, 38, has been with the Yankees since 1991 and has expressed a desire to remain with them. Johnny Damon took Williams’ job as the starter in center last year, and Melky Cabrera is slated to be the fourth outfielder.
Yankee Stadium will host the 79th All-Star Game on July 15, 2008, the final season before the Yankees move into a stadium being built across the street in the Bronx.
Mets: Pitcher Dave Williams had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck, and it’s unclear how long he will be sidelined.
