Bonds to the Rays? deeray will have a fit

[CadensDad]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—The Tampa Bay Rays have had internal discussions about the prospect of pursuing Barry Bonds.

Manager Joe Maddon said Monday he knew “little” about what was going on, but acknowledged some thought has been given to the career home-run leader.

“A minor discussion was thrown out there a little bit, and it’s really not gone any further than that,” Maddon said after Monday’s workout at the team’s spring training facility. “That’s all it is right now.”

The St. Petersburg Times reported in Monday’s editions that team officials have conferred among themselves about Bonds and other veteran unsigned free agents, such as Kenny Lofton and Mike Piazza. Andrew Friedman, Rays vice president of baseball operations, called the report a “non-story.”

Bonds, who broke Henry Aaron’s career home run record last summer, has pleaded not guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from testimony to a federal grand jury in 2003 in which he said he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.

Maddon shrugged off a question about how Bonds might fit in with the Rays if the team decided to pursue him and ultimately added him to the roster.

“It’s hard to conjecture. … I don’t know this man. I only know what I read, and I’m very much open to meeting people and drawing my own conclusions about people. I don’t necessarily believe everything that I read,” Maddon said.

“For me to create conjecture of what it’s going to be like, I really don’t want to go there right now. … So many things are going good right now. If I have to face those moments, I’ll do it at the appropriate time. But for right now, it’s really about nothing.”

[raiders_umpire]

Very doubtful it happens, but he will be welcomed with open arms by me. He almost came to Tampa about 15 years ago, when the Giants almost moved, but I will still take him today as long as he wants to DH about 120 games a year. What a lineup the Rays could possibly have though if the youngsters fill out with Bonds in the middle of Upton and Pena.

[boston fan]

I highly doubt it will happen. First, the rays have to pay the money for him, and i don't think they will.
Second, they got rid of Delmon Young and Elijah dukes partly b/c of their attitudes/distractions,
third, i think that they are pretty content with their RF/DH three man platoon of Floyd, Baldelli, Gomes although,don't get me wrong, Bonds would be a huge upgrade.

[deerayfan072]

The Rays have said there is no substance to this. What is true, who knows. I would say that it is not going to happen. They traded away DY in part of his attitude and the distraction he caused as CC said. Bringing in Bonds would be an even bigger distraction with all the baggage he brings. I don't see him coming here at all

[Field]

I'd love to see it. What an ever bigger circus the AL East would be.

[The Artful Dodger]

I suppose it makes sense to Bonds but he's gone on record that he'd rather stay in California and I think the likely location is Oakland.

[dooz]

If the A's were trying to compete this year, maybe he lands in Oakland. It seems to me that the A's are in full rebuild mode. I don't see why the A's would have any interest in him.

[CadensDad]

If the A's were trying to compete this year, maybe he lands in Oakland. It seems to me that the A's are in full rebuild mode. I don't see why the A's would have any interest in him.

I agree why would the A's waste the money? They'd be better off signing some young free agent players

[The Artful Dodger]

If the A's were trying to compete this year, maybe he lands in Oakland. It seems to me that the A's are in full rebuild mode. I don't see why the A's would have any interest in him.

I say that because the Angels aren't likely to take Bonds with the DH carousel they have even though they've been flirting over the possibility the last couple of years. It appears that if both California AL teams think he's nothing but a tertiary priority at best, then he'll look for another AL team to set up shop in.

[jfg]

Via Rotoworld:

While the Rays admit to having talked internally about adding Barry Bonds, it's not something they're seriously considering at this time.
"A minor discussion was thrown out there a little bit, and it’s really not gone any further than that," manager Joe Maddon said. "That’s all it is right now." The Tampa Tribune quotes VP Andrew Friedman, through spokesman Rick Vaughn, saying, "It’s a non-story." Bonds' agent said today that Japan may be an option for the slugger.

Japan? Japan? That would be the icing on the cake in the saga of Bonds fall from grace.